Distributed Constraint Satisfaction and the Bounds on Resource Allocation in Wireless Networks

In this paper we consider medium access scheduling in ad hoc networks as a distributed constraint satisfaction problem (DCSP), and present experimental results on the solvability and complexity of this problem. We show that there are “phase transitions” in solvability and complexity with respect to the transmission power of the wireless nodes. The phase transition curves indicate that there is a critical maximum power level for certain arrangements of nodes and a given availability of spectrum in an ad hoc network beyond which the problem of channel allocation becomes intractable.