Delay minimization in multihop wireless networks: Static scheduling does it

In this paper, we address two issues in multihop wireless networks—poor end-to-end delay performance and high per-slot computational overhead of the classical max-weight algorithm. To reduce the end-to-end delay, we first propose a simple modification to the classical maximum weight scheduling algorithm that promotes the use of shorter paths by the packets. The significantly lower delays are shown via simulation. The modification that we suggest does not reduce the schedulable region and has the same complexity as the classical algorithm. Next, we propose a static routing and scheduling scheme that is obtained by adapting the classical optimal routing problem of wireline networks to multihop wireless networks. The static scheme slows the timescale of routing and scheduling computations from per-slot to the timescale of change in the network traffic pattern; thus the computation complexity is reduced. We also show, via simulations, that the delay performance in the static scheme is comparable to that of the dynamic scheme that we have proposed.