On the Waveform for 5G

In this article, an overview and an in-depth analysis of the most discussed 5G waveform candidates are presented. In addition to general requirements, the nature of each waveform is revealed including the motivation, the underlying methodology, and the associated advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, these waveform candidates are categorized and compared both qualitatively and quantitatively. By doing all these, the study in this work offers not only design guidelines but also operational suggestions for the 5G waveform.