Contention Resolution in Multiple-Access Channels: k-Selection in Radio Networks

Abstract

In this paper, contention resolution among k contenders on a multiple-access channel is explored. The problem studied has been modeled as a k-Selection in Radio Networks, in which every contender has to have exclusive access at least once to a shared communication channel. The randomized adaptive protocol presented shows that, for a probability of error 2ε, all the contenders get access to the channel in time (e+ 1 +ξ)k+O(log 2(1/ε)), where ε ≤ 1/(n+ 1), ξ > 0 is any constant arbitrarily close to 0, and n is the total number of potential contenders. The above time complexity is asymptotically optimal for any significant ε. The protocol works even if the number of contenders k is unknown and collisions cannot be detected.