Game Theory for Cognitive Radio Networks

A cognitive radio is an intelligent radio that can be programmed and configured dynamically. Its transceiver is designed to use the best wireless channels in its vicinity. Such a radio automatically detects available channels in the wireless spectrum, then accordingly changes its transmission or reception parameters to allow more concurrent wireless communications in a given spectrum band at one location. This process is a form of dynamic spectrum management. In recent years, the development of intelligent, adaptive wireless devices called cognitive radios, together with the introduction of secondary spectrum licensing, has led to a new paradigm in communications: cognitive networks. Cognitive networks are wireless networks that consist of several types of users: often a primary user and secondary users. These cognitive users employ their cognitive abilities to communicate without harming the primary users. The study of cognitive networks is relatively new and many questions are yet to be answered. This chapter furthers the study.

Game Theory for Wireless Network Resource Management

Computer network bandwidth can be viewed as a limited resource. The users on the network compete for that resource. Their competition can be simulated using game theory models. No centralized regulation of network usage is possible because of the diverse ownership of network resources. Therefore, the problem is of ensuring the fair sharing of network resources. If a centralized system could be developed which would govern the use of the shared resources, each user would get an assigned network usage time or bandwidth, thereby limiting each person's usage of network resources to his or her fair share. As of yet, however, such a system remains an impossibility, making the situation of sharing network resources a competitive game between the users of the network and decreasing everyone's utility. This chapter explores this competitive game.

Game Theory for Network Security

Network security consists of the provisions and policies adopted by a network administrator to prevent and monitor unauthorized access, misuse, modification, or denial of a computer network and network-accessible resources. It involves the authorization of access to data in a network, which is controlled by the network administrator. Usually, network security covers a variety of computer networks, both public and private, that are used in everyday jobs conducting transactions and communications among businesses, government agencies, and individuals. This chapter explores network security.

Game-Theoretic Approaches in Heterogeneous Networks

Improving capacity and coverage is one of the main issues in next-generation wireless communication. Heterogeneous networks (HetNets), which is currently investigated in LTE-Advanced standard, is a promising solution to enhance capacity and eliminate coverage holes in a cost-efficient manner. A HetNet is composed of existing macrocells and various types of small cells. By deploying small cells into the existing network, operators enhance the users' quality of service which are suffering from severe signal degradation at cell edges or coverage holes. Nevertheless, there are numerous challenges in integrating small cells into the existing cellular network due to the characteristics: unplanned deployment, intercell interference, economic potential, etc. Recently, game theory has been shown to be a powerful tool for investigating the challenges in HetNets. Several game-theoretic approaches have been proposed to model the distributed deployment and self-organization feature of HetNets. In this chapter, the authors first give an overview of the challenges in HetNets. Subsequently, the authors illustrate how game theory can be applied to solve issues related to HetNets.

Assessing the Utilization of Automata in Representing Players' Behaviors in Game Theory

Representing players' strategies in game theory has a direct impact on the players' performance. The state of art shows that automata are one of the primary techniques used for representing players' strategies and behaviors. In this paper, the author will identify different types of automata and assess their utilization in the field of game theory. Is has been found that finite automata, adaptive automata, and cellular automata are widely adopted in game theory. The utilization of finite automata is found to be limited to represent simpler players' behavior. On the other hand, adaptive automata and cellular automata are intensively applied in complex environments, where the number of interacted players is large and therefore, representing complex behaviors are needed.

A Survey of Game Theory Applications in Turkey

This chapter gives a brief review of game theory applications in Turkey. The intention is twofold: first, to provide the reader with an overview of game theory and its applications in Turkey; second, to explore the tractability of economic problems when formulating them as game theory models. The discussion starts with a general description of game theory models and follows with an investigation of game theory applications performed in Turkey.

Game Models in Various Applications

Recently, game-theoretic models have become famous in many academic research areas. Therefore, many applications and extensions of the original game theoretic approach appear in many of the major science fields. Despite all the technical problems, the history of game theory suggests that it would be premature to abandon the tool, especially in the absence of a viable alternative. If anything, the development of game theory has been driven precisely by the realization of its limitations and attempts to overcome them. This chapter explores these ideas.

Basic Concepts for Game Theory

Game theory has been variously described as the science of strategy or that of conflict resolution. At its core, it has the characteristics of a mathematical construct: a clear set of concepts and assumptions, fundamental theorems, and applications to real world issues. The fact that the issues in question are mostly the domains of the social sciences, however, places game theory in a peculiar position compared to other mathematical and scientific disciplines. Following von Neumann and Morgenstern's book, it is customary to analyze what we call game situations by using parlor games—already existing ones or ones specially constructed for this very purpose—as analytical models. This chapter does this.

Playing with Ambiguity

This chapter discusses the way that three distinct fields, decision theory, game theory and computer science, can be successfully combined in order to optimally design economic experiments. Using an example of cooperative game theory (the Stag-Hunt game), the chapter presents how the introduction of ambiguous beliefs and attitudes towards ambiguity in the analysis can affect the predicted equilibrium. Based on agent-based simulation methods, the author is able to tackle similar theoretical problems and thus to design experiments in such a way that they will produce useful, unbiased and reliable data.

Game-Based Control Mechanisms for Cognitive Radio Networks

Comprehensive control mechanism in cognitive radio networks is an important research topic within the scope of empowering cognitive radio functionality in beyond-4G mobile networks. Providing control mechanism for secondary users without interference with primary users is an ambitious task, which requires innovative management architecture designs and routing solutions. Operational challenges such as opportunistic spectrum access, solving problems related to spectrum and network heterogeneities, and requests for the provisioning of Quality-of-Service to different applications must be resolved. As part of a novel management architecture, the control mechanism advances a new approach for cognitive radio networks. We explore this in this chapter.