Cross-layer congestion and contention control for wireless ad hoc networks

We consider joint congestion and contention control for multihop wireless ad hoc networks, where the goal is to find optimal end-to-end source rates at the transport layer and per-link persistence probabilities at the medium access control (MAC) layer to maximize the aggregate source utility. The primal formulation of this problem is non-convex and non-separable. Under certain conditions, by applying appropriate transformations and introducing new variables, we obtain a decoupled and dual-decomposable convex formulation. For general non-logarithmic concave utilities, we develop a novel dual-based distributed algorithm using the subgradient method. In this algorithm, sources at the transport layer adjust their log rates to maximize their net benefits, while links at the MAC layer select transmission probabilities proportional to their conceived contribution to the system reward. The two layers are connected and coordinated by link prices. Our solutions enjoy the benefits of cross-layer optimization while maintaining the simplicity and modularity of the traditional layered architecture.