Joint cell selection and resource allocation games with backhaul constraints

In this work we study the problem of user association and resource allocation to maximize the proportional fairness of a wireless network with limited backhaul capacity. The optimal solution of this problem requires solving a mixed integer non-linear programming problem which generally cannot be solved in real time. We propose instead to model the problem as a potential game, which decreases dramatically the computational complexity and obtains a user association and resource allocation close to the optimal solution. Additionally, the use of a game-theoretic approach allows an efficient distribution of the computational burden among the computational resources of the network. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.