A game theory approach for power control and relay selection in cooperative communication networks with asymmetric information

The performance of cooperative communication depends on elaborative resource allocation, such as power control and relay selection. Traditional centralized transmission control requires precise information of the whole networks. In this paper, we introduce a new cooperative mechanism where relay nodes take the initiative. In the system model information like channel state, energy cost and power constraints are all user's private information. Thus, the game involved is under asymmetric information. We derive the Perfect Bayesian Equilibrium (PBE) via distributed computing and achieve optimal benefits for the mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) and relay nodes. The proposed approach not only helps the relay nodes with power control but also helps the operators with relay selection.We prove the game to achieve unique equilibrium in different scenarios. Moreover, numerical results and analysis show that both relay nodes and the source node benefit from the proposed game compared with none-cooperative game.