A Distributed CSMA Algorithm for Throughput and Utility Maximization in Wireless Networks

In multi-hop wireless networks, designing distributed scheduling algorithms to achieve the maximal throughput is a challenging problem because of the complex interference constraints among different links. Traditional maximal-weight (MW) scheduling, although throughput-optimal, is difficult to implement in distributed networks; whereas a distributed greedy protocol similar to IEEE 802.11 does not guarantee the maximal throughput. In this paper, we introduce an adaptive CSMA scheduling algorithm that can achieve the maximal throughput distributedly under some assumptions. Major advantages of the algorithm include: (1) It applies to a very general interference model; (2) It is simple, distributed and asynchronous. Furthermore, we combine the algorithm with end-to-end flow control to achieve the optimal utility and fairness of competing flows. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by simulations. Finally, we consider some implementation issues in the setting of 802.11 networks.