{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7131816057","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/lwc.2026.3668712","title":"Scalable Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based User Pairing for Cell-Free MIMO Network","display_name":"Scalable Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based User Pairing for Cell-Free MIMO Network","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7131816057","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/lwc.2026.3668712"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/lwc.2026.3668712","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/lwc.2026.3668712","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2500830676","display_name":"IEEE Wireless Communications Letters","issn_l":"2162-2337","issn":["2162-2337","2162-2345"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Wireless Communications Letters","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5065732198","display_name":"Fan Meng","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9769-0057"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210155350","display_name":"Purple Mountain Laboratories","ror":"https://ror.org/04zcbk583","country_code":"CN","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Fan Meng","raw_affiliation_strings":["Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9769-0057","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5101581308","display_name":"Xiao Bai","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7491-2454"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210155350","display_name":"Purple Mountain Laboratories","ror":"https://ror.org/04zcbk583","country_code":"CN","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xiao Bai","raw_affiliation_strings":["Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5017137213","display_name":"Zening Liu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3390-4976"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210155350","display_name":"Purple Mountain Laboratories","ror":"https://ror.org/04zcbk583","country_code":"CN","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zening Liu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5127378489","display_name":"Cheng Zhang","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210155350","display_name":"Purple Mountain Laboratories","ror":"https://ror.org/04zcbk583","country_code":"CN","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Cheng Zhang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2663-4207","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5127282142","display_name":"Huan Ni","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210101451","display_name":"Nanjing University of Industry Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/00qf07q44","country_code":"CN","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210101451"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Huan Ni","raw_affiliation_strings":["Nanjing Zijinshan Technology Industry Development Group Company Ltd., Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3507-2787","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Nanjing Zijinshan Technology Industry Development Group Company Ltd., Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210101451"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5127284829","display_name":"Jingze Wu","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I76569877","display_name":"Southeast University","ror":"https://ror.org/04ct4d772","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I76569877"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jingze Wu","raw_affiliation_strings":["National Mobile Communications Research Laboratory, School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"National Mobile Communications Research Laboratory, School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I76569877"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5127341585","display_name":"Zhiyu Yang","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210155350","display_name":"Purple Mountain Laboratories","ror":"https://ror.org/04zcbk583","country_code":"CN","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Zhiyu Yang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5088525715","display_name":"Jianjie You","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210155350","display_name":"Purple Mountain Laboratories","ror":"https://ror.org/04zcbk583","country_code":"CN","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Jianjie You","raw_affiliation_strings":["Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Yongming Huang","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3616-4616"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210155350","display_name":"Purple Mountain Laboratories","ror":"https://ror.org/04zcbk583","country_code":"CN","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yongming Huang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3616-4616","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Purple Mountain Laboratories, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210155350"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Dong Han","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7317-5915"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210101451","display_name":"Nanjing University of Industry Technology","ror":"https://ror.org/00qf07q44","country_code":"CN","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210101451"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Dong Han","raw_affiliation_strings":["Nanjing Zijinshan Technology Industry Development Group Company Ltd., Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7317-5915","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Nanjing Zijinshan Technology Industry Development Group Company Ltd., Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210101451"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.18987423,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"15","issue":null,"first_page":"2139","last_page":"2143"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10148","display_name":"Advanced MIMO Systems Optimization","score":0.9204999804496765,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2208","display_name":"Electrical and Electronic Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10148","display_name":"Advanced MIMO Systems Optimization","score":0.9204999804496765,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2208","display_name":"Electrical and Electronic Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13918","display_name":"Advanced Data and IoT Technologies","score":0.017000000923871994,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2208","display_name":"Electrical and Electronic Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11458","display_name":"Advanced Wireless Communication Technologies","score":0.006200000178068876,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2208","display_name":"Electrical and Electronic Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/reinforcement-learning","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","score":0.6753000020980835},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/pairing","display_name":"Pairing","score":0.652999997138977},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scalability","display_name":"Scalability","score":0.6448000073432922},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scheduling","display_name":"Scheduling (production processes)","score":0.5676000118255615},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/wireless-network","display_name":"Wireless network","score":0.5461000204086304},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/telecommunications-link","display_name":"Telecommunications link","score":0.5048999786376953},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computational-complexity-theory","display_name":"Computational complexity theory","score":0.49070000648498535},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/channel-state-information","display_name":"Channel state information","score":0.4537000060081482}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.8677999973297119},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97541855","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q830687","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","level":2,"score":0.6753000020980835},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C14103023","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11681459","display_name":"Pairing","level":3,"score":0.652999997138977},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48044578","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q727490","display_name":"Scalability","level":2,"score":0.6448000073432922},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C206729178","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2271896","display_name":"Scheduling (production processes)","level":2,"score":0.5676000118255615},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120314980","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180634","display_name":"Distributed computing","level":1,"score":0.5597000122070312},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108037233","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11375","display_name":"Wireless network","level":3,"score":0.5461000204086304},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C138660444","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5607897","display_name":"Telecommunications link","level":2,"score":0.5048999786376953},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C179799912","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205084","display_name":"Computational complexity theory","level":2,"score":0.49070000648498535},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C148063708","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5072511","display_name":"Channel state information","level":3,"score":0.4537000060081482},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C555944384","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q249","display_name":"Wireless","level":2,"score":0.4293000102043152},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C157764524","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1383412","display_name":"Throughput","level":3,"score":0.41029998660087585},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C31258907","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1301371","display_name":"Computer network","level":1,"score":0.39959999918937683},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C207987634","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q176862","display_name":"MIMO","level":3,"score":0.3824999928474426},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C24590314","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q336038","display_name":"Wireless sensor network","level":2,"score":0.3239000141620636},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C105339364","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2297740","display_name":"Software deployment","level":2,"score":0.2903999984264374},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127162648","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16858953","display_name":"Channel (broadcasting)","level":2,"score":0.2879999876022339},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127964446","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1092142","display_name":"Computational resource","level":3,"score":0.27889999747276306},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C79403827","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3988","display_name":"Real-time computing","level":1,"score":0.27250000834465027},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C153646914","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q535695","display_name":"Cellular network","level":2,"score":0.2563999891281128}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/lwc.2026.3668712","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/lwc.2026.3668712","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2500830676","display_name":"IEEE Wireless Communications Letters","issn_l":"2162-2337","issn":["2162-2337","2162-2345"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319808","host_organization_name":"Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319808"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"IEEE Wireless Communications Letters","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G2374063051","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"2242022k60002","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320335787","funder_display_name":"Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G2646936429","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"62201394","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","funder_display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G6710891057","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"62271140","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","funder_display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G6973683152","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"BK20240174","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320322769","funder_display_name":"Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G900479562","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"62225107","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","funder_display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","ror":"https://ror.org/01h0zpd94"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320322769","display_name":"Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province","ror":"https://ror.org/01h0zpd94"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320335787","display_name":"Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities","ror":null}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":13,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1614606562","https://openalex.org/W2143927285","https://openalex.org/W2164497732","https://openalex.org/W2518954956","https://openalex.org/W2729353502","https://openalex.org/W2794396981","https://openalex.org/W2957938917","https://openalex.org/W2965123227","https://openalex.org/W2974046131","https://openalex.org/W2978045476","https://openalex.org/W3122789033","https://openalex.org/W3209298344","https://openalex.org/W4360604732"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Wireless":[0],"networks":[1],"continuously":[2],"evolve":[3],"to":[4,50,85,99,160],"support":[5],"higher":[6],"data":[7],"rates":[8],"and":[9,26,139,156],"accommodate":[10],"a":[11,44,74,97,133],"growing":[12],"number":[13],"of":[14,88,152],"wireless":[15],"devices.":[16],"However,":[17],"conventional":[18],"scheduling":[19],"methods":[20],"either":[21],"incur":[22],"high":[23],"computational":[24,137],"complexity":[25,138],"excessive":[27],"latency,":[28],"or":[29],"suffer":[30],"from":[31],"significant":[32],"performance":[33],"degradation":[34],"under":[35],"imperfect":[36],"system":[37],"conditions.":[38],"In":[39],"this":[40,89],"work,":[41],"we":[42],"employ":[43],"deep":[45],"reinforcement":[46],"learning":[47,163],"(DRL)":[48],"framework":[49],"address":[51],"the":[52,101,113,128,150],"NP-hard":[53],"user":[54,102],"pairing":[55,103],"problem":[56],"in":[57,71,149],"cell-free":[58],"multiple-input":[59],"multiple-output":[60],"(MIMO)":[61],"networks.":[62],"The":[63],"proposed":[64,114,129],"algorithm":[65],"operates":[66],"across":[67,119],"multiple":[68],"resource-block-groups":[69],"(RBGs)":[70],"parallel,":[72],"leveraging":[73],"pointer":[75],"network":[76,125],"that":[77,112],"observes":[78],"RBG-specific,":[79],"transmit-power-scaled":[80],"channel":[81],"state":[82],"information":[83],"(CSI)":[84],"select":[86],"users":[87],"RBG.":[90],"Then,":[91],"RBG-specific":[92],"uplink":[93],"throughput":[94,140],"serves":[95],"as":[96],"feedback":[98],"optimize":[100],"policy":[104],"without":[105],"requiring":[106],"labeled":[107],"data.":[108],"Simulation":[109],"results":[110],"show":[111],"approach":[115],"is":[116],"highly":[117],"scalable":[118],"different":[120],"deployment":[121],"scenarios":[122],"with":[123],"varying":[124],"configurations.":[126],"Meanwhile,":[127],"DRL-based":[130],"scheme":[131],"achieves":[132],"favorable":[134],"trade-off":[135],"between":[136],"performance.":[141],"Furthermore,":[142],"DRL":[143],"consistently":[144],"outperforms":[145],"all":[146],"baselines":[147],"particularly":[148],"presence":[151],"CSI":[153],"estimation":[154],"errors":[155],"unknown":[157],"noise,":[158],"owing":[159],"its":[161],"feedback-driven":[162],"mechanism.":[164]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-18T07:39:51.176621","created_date":"2026-02-28T00:00:00"}
