Link-Sharing Backpressure Routing In Wireless Multi-Hop Networks

Abstract

Backpressure (BP) routing and scheduling is an established resource allocation method for wireless multi-hop networks, noted for its fully distributed operation and maximum queue stability. Recent advances in shortest path-biased BP routing (SP-BP) mitigate shortcomings such as slow startup and random walks, yet exclusive link-level commodity selection still causes last-packet problem and bandwidth underutilization. By revisiting the Lyapunov drift theory underlying BP, we show that the legacy exclusive commodity selection is unnecessary, and propose a Maximum Utility (MaxU) link-sharing method to expand its performance envelope without increasing control message overhead. Numerical results show that MaxU SP-BP substantially mitigates the last-packet problem and slightly expands the network capacity region.

• Preprint http://arxiv.org/abs/2512.09902
• Source code available soon

This version includes improved theoretical proof over its earlier more extended version in arXiv https://arxiv.org/pdf/2504.21721. The full version is under preparation for journal submission, and will include more theoretical and experimental results over the PrePrint.