Nonlinear cooperative dynamics in distributed power control for wireless networks

Power-controlled multiple access (PCMA) is a class of distributed algorithms for transmitter power control (TPC) in wireless networks. In this paper, we develop and evaluate a continuous analog (fluid model) of the discrete version of PCMA in order to clearly demonstrate PCMA's capability to, without centralized coordination, induce a network behavior akin to time-division multiple access (TDMA), which we call "induced" TDMA (iTDMA). This analysis allows us to provide new insights into the throughput improvements of PCMA over the classical and widely-used Foschini-Miljanic (FM) constant signal-to-interference algorithm for distributed TPC, particularly in high-interference channels. Furthermore, this fluid model shows that PCMA's iTDMA behavior is fundamentally tied to the functional form of the central PCMA equation, and that PCMA holds significant potential for various types of interference-limited wireless networks.