Optimal Power and Resource Allocation for Transmit Power Minimization in OFDMA-based NOMA Networks

In this article, we address the problem of optimal joint power and resource allocation when Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) and Orthogonal Frequency Multiple Access (OFDMA) are combined for a hybrid downlink multiple access. First, an optimal solution of joint power and resource allocation minimizing the transmit power consumption, is obtained by rewriting the original optimization problem into an equivalent convex one and then by solving it by means of the well-known interior-point method. Second, we analyze the properties of the optimum, which are twofold; we show that at the optimum, the order of the users is preserved from one channel to another. Then, we derive a closed-form expression for the optimal power allocation in the particular case where all users have positive non-zero transmit powers in all channels.