Cooperative and cognitive networks: A motivating introduction towards the age of enlightenment in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In this introductory chapter, some key trends and emerging concepts for wireless communication networks are explored, highlighting chiefly those exploiting cooperative and cognitive principles. After discussing some key promising directions of development, a motivating overview of cooperative techniques in wireless networks in presented, followed by an overview of cognitive techniques and their use in wireless networks. The joint exploitation of these complementary principles are also considered in this chapter. Finally some visions on promising developments and possible evolutionary steps are included. The introductory discussions presented here serve as a an initial motivation to the rest of the book, where many of the concepts and techniques discussed here are explained in detail. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.