{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7133308040","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tccn.2026.3670137","title":"Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Distributed Channel Access in WLANs","display_name":"Heterogeneous Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Distributed Channel Access in WLANs","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-01-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7133308040","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tccn.2026.3670137"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1109/tccn.2026.3670137","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tccn.2026.3670137","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2484188435","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking","issn_l":"2332-7731","issn":["2332-7731","2372-2045"],"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 Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking","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":null,"display_name":"Jiaming Yu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9613-3716"},"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":"Jiaming Yu","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9613-3716","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I76569877"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5128013444","display_name":"Le Liang","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":"Le Liang","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8489-1933","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I76569877"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5127951487","display_name":"Chongtao Guo","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I180726961","display_name":"Shenzhen University","ror":"https://ror.org/01vy4gh70","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I180726961"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Chongtao Guo","raw_affiliation_strings":["Guangdong Key Laboratory of Intelligent Information Processing, College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0701-9615","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Guangdong Key Laboratory of Intelligent Information Processing, College of Electronics and Information Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I180726961"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5078961935","display_name":"Ziyang Guo","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5905-479X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I2250955327","display_name":"Huawei Technologies (China)","ror":"https://ror.org/00cmhce21","country_code":"CN","type":"company","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2250955327"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ziyang Guo","raw_affiliation_strings":["Wireless Technology Laboratory, 2012 Laboratories, Huawei Technologies Company Ltd., Shenzhen, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5905-479X","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Wireless Technology Laboratory, 2012 Laboratories, Huawei Technologies Company Ltd., Shenzhen, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I2250955327"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5127966756","display_name":"Shi Jin","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":"Shi Jin","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0271-6021","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Information Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I76569877"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5127885859","display_name":"Geoffrey Ye Li","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I47508984","display_name":"Imperial College London","ror":"https://ror.org/041kmwe10","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I47508984"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Geoffrey Ye Li","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, ITP Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, U.K"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7894-2415","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, ITP Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, U.K","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I47508984"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":4,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":12.6106,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":1,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.97507856,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":94,"max":97},"biblio":{"volume":"12","issue":null,"first_page":"6613","last_page":"6628"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11158","display_name":"Wireless Networks and Protocols","score":0.967199981212616,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11158","display_name":"Wireless Networks and Protocols","score":0.967199981212616,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10246","display_name":"Mobile Ad Hoc Networks","score":0.0034000000450760126,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10326","display_name":"Indoor and Outdoor Localization Technologies","score":0.0032999999821186066,"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":0.8518999814987183},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/convergence","display_name":"Convergence (economics)","score":0.5473999977111816},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/throughput","display_name":"Throughput","score":0.546500027179718},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/channel","display_name":"Channel (broadcasting)","score":0.5282999873161316},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/distributed-coordination-function","display_name":"Distributed coordination function","score":0.510200023651123},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/collision","display_name":"Collision","score":0.5030999779701233},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/heterogeneous-network","display_name":"Heterogeneous network","score":0.492900013923645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/collision-avoidance","display_name":"Collision avoidance","score":0.47429999709129333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/wireless-network","display_name":"Wireless network","score":0.4465000033378601}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.8583999872207642},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C97541855","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q830687","display_name":"Reinforcement learning","level":2,"score":0.8518999814987183},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C31258907","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1301371","display_name":"Computer network","level":1,"score":0.557699978351593},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120314980","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180634","display_name":"Distributed computing","level":1,"score":0.5530999898910522},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777303404","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q759757","display_name":"Convergence (economics)","level":2,"score":0.5473999977111816},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C157764524","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1383412","display_name":"Throughput","level":3,"score":0.546500027179718},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C127162648","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16858953","display_name":"Channel (broadcasting)","level":2,"score":0.5282999873161316},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115338102","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1229557","display_name":"Distributed coordination function","level":5,"score":0.510200023651123},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C121704057","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q352070","display_name":"Collision","level":2,"score":0.5030999779701233},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C158207573","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5747224","display_name":"Heterogeneous network","level":4,"score":0.492900013923645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780864053","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5147495","display_name":"Collision avoidance","level":3,"score":0.47429999709129333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108037233","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11375","display_name":"Wireless network","level":3,"score":0.4465000033378601},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C555944384","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q249","display_name":"Wireless","level":2,"score":0.4438999891281128},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C130120984","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2835898","display_name":"Distributed algorithm","level":2,"score":0.37279999256134033},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C14036430","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3736076","display_name":"Function (biology)","level":2,"score":0.3619999885559082},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780034591","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5147504","display_name":"Collision problem","level":3,"score":0.3612000048160553},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779582901","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21013010","display_name":"Distributed learning","level":2,"score":0.3483000099658966},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C508800617","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q29643","display_name":"Wi-Fi","level":4,"score":0.30799999833106995},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C188116033","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2664563","display_name":"Q-learning","level":3,"score":0.3034999966621399},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C14646407","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1430750","display_name":"Bellman equation","level":2,"score":0.2888999879360199},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780451532","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q759676","display_name":"Task (project management)","level":2,"score":0.2720000147819519},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C175154964","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380077","display_name":"Task analysis","level":3,"score":0.2703999876976013},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137471899","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11381","display_name":"Local area network","level":2,"score":0.2680000066757202},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C203274722","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7001161","display_name":"Network performance","level":2,"score":0.26570001244544983},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C193430537","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1665191","display_name":"Channel access method","level":3,"score":0.2590999901294708},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C62793504","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q228327","display_name":"Access network","level":2,"score":0.25040000677108765}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1109/tccn.2026.3670137","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1109/tccn.2026.3670137","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2484188435","display_name":"IEEE Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking","issn_l":"2332-7731","issn":["2332-7731","2372-2045"],"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 Transactions on Cognitive Communications and Networking","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G1003364742","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"62261160576","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320321001","funder_display_name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G7228364754","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"2025A1515011948","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337111","funder_display_name":"Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G8009948968","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"62571335","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/F4320334059","display_name":"Research Computing Center, University of Chicago","ror":null},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337111","display_name":"Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province","ror":null}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":36,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1600358513","https://openalex.org/W1970041563","https://openalex.org/W2047195489","https://openalex.org/W2071983464","https://openalex.org/W2088195756","https://openalex.org/W2104935654","https://openalex.org/W2124021476","https://openalex.org/W2145339207","https://openalex.org/W2159858718","https://openalex.org/W2166533447","https://openalex.org/W2290671011","https://openalex.org/W2292533394","https://openalex.org/W2612175338","https://openalex.org/W2890950736","https://openalex.org/W2919103684","https://openalex.org/W2968764495","https://openalex.org/W2983432303","https://openalex.org/W2991001817","https://openalex.org/W2994963339","https://openalex.org/W2998578058","https://openalex.org/W3022237627","https://openalex.org/W3046094031","https://openalex.org/W3127342281","https://openalex.org/W3127837447","https://openalex.org/W3131043200","https://openalex.org/W3162751737","https://openalex.org/W3168773799","https://openalex.org/W3214755263","https://openalex.org/W4205993435","https://openalex.org/W4379409436","https://openalex.org/W4391164317","https://openalex.org/W4401507902","https://openalex.org/W4401871087","https://openalex.org/W4406356762","https://openalex.org/W4409327552","https://openalex.org/W7124263349"],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Distributed":[0],"channel":[1],"access":[2,141],"in":[3,147,158],"wireless":[4],"local":[5],"area":[6],"networks":[7],"often":[8],"suffers":[9],"from":[10],"limited":[11],"throughput,":[12,127],"high":[13,16],"latency,":[14],"and":[15,107,133,160,172],"collision":[17,134,143],"rates.":[18],"This":[19],"paper":[20],"investigates":[21],"the":[22,37,44,56,86,89,96,104,114,122,148,153,168],"use":[23],"of":[24,88],"multi-agent":[25],"reinforcement":[26,51],"learning":[27,52],"(MARL)":[28],"to":[29,54,76,80],"address":[30],"these":[31],"challenges.":[32],"In":[33],"particular,":[34],"we":[35,83],"consider":[36],"challenging":[38],"yet":[39],"more":[40],"practical":[41],"case":[42],"where":[43],"agents":[45,79],"heterogeneously":[46],"adopt":[47],"value-based":[48],"or":[49],"policy-based":[50],"algorithms":[53],"train":[55],"model.":[57],"We":[58],"propose":[59],"a":[60,69],"heterogeneous":[61,78,91,176],"MARL":[62,92],"training":[63,71],"framework,":[64],"named":[65],"QPMIX,":[66],"which":[67],"adopts":[68],"centralized":[70],"with":[72,137,142,167],"distributed":[73],"execution":[74],"paradigm":[75],"enable":[77],"collaborate.":[81],"Moreover,":[82],"theoretically":[84],"prove":[85],"convergence":[87],"proposed":[90,123],"method":[93,102],"when":[94],"using":[95],"linear":[97],"value":[98],"function":[99],"approximation.":[100],"Our":[101],"maximizes":[103],"network":[105,116],"throughput":[106],"ensures":[108],"fairness":[109],"among":[110,175],"stations,":[111],"therefore,":[112],"enhancing":[113],"overall":[115],"performance.":[117],"Simulation":[118],"results":[119],"demonstrate":[120],"that":[121],"QPMIX":[124,154],"algorithm":[125,155],"improves":[126],"reduces":[128],"mean":[129],"delay,":[130],"delay":[131],"jitter,":[132],"rates":[135],"compared":[136],"conventional":[138,169],"carrier-sense":[139],"multiple":[140],"avoidance":[144],"(CSMA/CA)":[145],"mechanism":[146,171],"saturated":[149],"traffic":[150,162],"scenario.":[151],"Furthermore,":[152],"is":[156],"robust":[157],"unsaturated":[159],"delay-sensitive":[161],"scenarios.":[163],"It":[164],"coexists":[165],"well":[166],"CSMA/CA":[170],"promotes":[173],"cooperation":[174],"agents.":[177]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-03-27T05:58:40.876381","created_date":"2026-03-04T00:00:00"}