Survey of Reinforcement-Learning-Based MAC Protocols for Wireless Ad Hoc Networks with a MAC Reference Model

In this paper, we conduct a survey of the literature about reinforcement learning (RL)-based medium access control (MAC) protocols. As the scale of the wireless ad hoc network (WANET) increases, traditional MAC solutions are becoming obsolete. Dynamic topology, resource allocation, interference management, limited bandwidth and energy constraint are crucial problems needing resolution for designing modern WANET architectures. In order for future MAC protocols to overcome the current limitations in frequently changing WANETs, more intelligence need to be deployed to maintain efficient communications. After introducing some classic RL schemes, we investigate the existing state-of-the-art MAC protocols and related solutions for WANETs according to the MAC reference model and discuss how each proposed protocol works and the challenging issues on the related MAC model components. Finally, this paper discusses future research directions on how RL can be used to enable MAC protocols for high performance.

Automated summary

In this paper, a survey is conducted on RL-based MAC protocols in WANETs. Traditional MAC solutions are becoming obsolete due to the increasing scale of WANETs. Designing modern WANET architectures requires resolving crucial problems like dynamic topology, resource allocation, interference management, limited bandwidth, and energy constraint. To overcome the limitations in frequently changing WANETs, more intelligence needs to be deployed for efficient communications. The paper investigates existing state-of-the-art MAC protocols and proposed solutions, discusses their workings, and highlights the challenging issues on the MAC model components. Future research directions on utilizing RL for enabling high-performance MAC protocols are also discussed.