Scheduling Aware Network Flow Models for Multi-Hop Wireless Networks

Network flow models have proven to be an effective tool in the analysis and optimization of networks. In addition, with some work, they have been used to develop stable and near-optimal distributed protocols. Critical to the success of these models in Multi-Hop Wireless Networks (MHWNs) is an accurate estimation of the effect of interference. While the existing models capture coarse grained estimates of interference, they do not account for the substantial impact of MAC scheduling. On the other hand, accurate models of throughput in CSMA networks exist. However, their complexity and some of their underlying assumptions make them unsuitable for use as part of a network flow formulation, which must explore a large number of candidate solutions.