ECE 5644 - Game Theory for Communication Networks (3C)

Analysis and optimization of large-scale engineering systems and communication networks using game theory. Introduction to the basics of game theory and its two branches—noncooperative and cooperative games—with application to the design of emerging communication systems and networks. A comprehensive treatment of the basics of game theory and learning with communication networking examples drawn from various areas such as cellular networks, mobile ad hoc networks, and related fields. Pre: Graduate Standing. (3H, 3C).

The goal of this course is to provide a comprehensive treatment of game theory, in its two main branches, noncooperative and cooperative game theory, while specifically explaining how game-theoretic models can be developed and tailored to communication systems and networking problems. This course will expose graduate students to the advance mathematical techniques of game theory as it is a necessary tool for analyzing networked systems. The course will provide an engineering approach to game theory tailored to communication systems and networks. It will complement current course offerings on game theory which are mainly given in the Economics department and targeted toward problems in economics. As a result, such courses are difficult for engineering graduate students to understand as they use different terminology as well as a significant number of assumptions (e.g., transferable money) that are fundamentally different from those in engineering problems. In contrast, this course will provide an engineering-oriented introduction to game theory with specific examples drawn from the communications and networking fields, thus giving engineering students a unique and much needed treatment of the subject. The blend between networking, engineering, and game theory will be unique and invaluable for Engineering graduate students.