Optimal relay allocation strategy based on maximum rate in two-user multi-relay system

Cooperative communication can enhance the performance of wireless networks via relays, and so how to allocate the relay to obtain the optimal performance of system is a key issue. In this article, we consider a cooperative system where two users communicate with the destination via relays, and these relays connect with the destination by cable. Through the theoretical derivation and analysis, we obtain the optimal relay allocation strat- egy based on the maximum rate under the condition of relays setting forwarding thresholds. The result shows that the system has the maximum transmission rate when the relays are allocated equivalently between users. Moreover, compared with the single-user system, the results prove that diversity gain has a decisive effect on the performance in low SNR. However, with the SNR increasing, the impact of diversity gain on system rate will be reduced. In high SNR, spatial freedom degree of the channel of multiple users is brought to enhance the performance instead of diversity gain. Numerical results demonstrate the validity of the allocation strategy and conclusion arrived in this study, but we do not find the similar arguments in the literature so far, for comparison with the conclusion of this study.