Path Loss Exponent Estimation in a Large Field of Interferers

In wireless channels, the path loss exponent (PLE) has a strong impact on the quality of links, and hence, it needs to be accurately estimated for the efficient design and operation of wireless networks. In this paper, we address the problem of PLE estimation in large wireless networks, which is relevant to several important issues in networked communications such as localization, energy-efficient routing, and channel access. We consider a large ad hoc network where nodes are distributed as a homogeneous Poisson point process on the plane and the channels are subject to Nakagami-m fading. We propose and discuss three distributed algorithms for estimating the PLE under these settings which explicitly take into account the interference in the network. In addition, we provide simulation results to demonstrate the performance of the algorithms and quantify the estimation errors. We also describe how to estimate the PLE accurately even in networks with spatially varying PLEs and more general node distributions.