engleski

On Some Cost Allocation Problems in Communication Networks

New technologies prompted an explosion in the development of communication networks. Modern network optimization techniques usually lead to a design of the most profitable, or the least cost network that will provide some service to customers. There are various costs and gains associated with building and using a communication network. Moreover, the involved multiple network users and/or owners possibly have conflicting objectives. However, they might cooperate in order to decrease their joint cost or increase their joint profit. Clearly, these individuals or organizations will support a globally 'attractive' solution(s) only if their expectations for a 'fair share' of the cost or profit are met. Consequently, providing network developers, users and owners with efficiently computable 'fair' cost allocation solution procedures is of great importance for strategic management. This work is an overview of some recent results (some already published as well as some new) in the development of cooperative game theory based mechanisms to efficiently compute 'attractive' cost allocation solutions for several important classes of communication networks.

communication networks; cost allocation; cooperative games; mathematical programming

SBR9602021(NSF)