Minimax robust power split in AF relays based on uncertain long-term CSI

An optimal power control among source and relay nodes in presence of channel state information (CSI) is vital for an efficient amplify and forward (AF) based cooperative communication system. In this work, we study the optimal power split (power control) between the source and relay node in presence of an uncertainty in the CSI. The prime contribution is to solve the problem based on an uncertain long-term knowledge of both the first and second hop CSI (requiring less frequent updates), and under an aggregate network-level power constraint. We employ the minimax optimization methodology to arrive at the minimax robust optimal power split, that offers the best possible guarantee on the end-to-end signal to noise ratio (SNR). The derived closed form analytical expressions admit simple intuitive interpretations and are easy to implement in real-world AF relaying systems. Numerical results confirm the advantages of incorporating the presence of uncertainty into the optimization problem, and demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed minimax robust optimal power split. © 2011 IEEE.