Matching Theory: Applications in wireless communications

Matching theory is a powerful tool to study the formation of dynamic and mutually beneficial relations among different types of rational and selfish agents. It has been widely used to develop high performance, low complexity, and decentralized protocols. In this article, a comprehensive survey of matching theory, its variants, and their significant properties appropriate for the demands of wireless communications and network engineers is provided. Recent research progress in applying matching theory to wireless communications to address major technical opportunities and challenges is presented. A novel classification of matching models from the practical perspective is provided, and the properties and structure of each model are explained. This will enable a network designer to select an appropriate matching model for a specific application in wireless communications. Finally, the application of different matching models to various emerging wireless networks is discussed.