Joint power control and user grouping mechanism for efficient uplink non‐orthogonal multiple access‐based 5G communication: Utilising the Lèvy‐flight firefly algorithm

Abstract

AbstractThe non‐orthogonal multiple access strategies have shown promise to boost fifth generation and sixth generation wireless networks' spectral efficiency and enable large‐scale network access. Generally, user‐grouping, power‐management, and decoding‐order are essential components in ensuring optimal system performance. Hence, the user‐grouping and power‐management problem was investigated to maximise the spectral‐efficiency in non‐orthogonal multiple access uplink systems while reducing the computational complexity. This joint optimisation problem was previously studied in which several sub‐optimal polynomial‐time solutions were presented at the expense of a huge system and computational complexity. Therefore, a metaheuristic optimisation method, inspired by nature, called the Lévy‐flight firefly algorithm was utilised to tackle the power control and user grouping in non‐orthogonal multiple access systems such that the system performance is enhanced with reduced computational complexity. Also, the popular firefly algorithm is used to solve the same problem. The effectiveness of the presented method in achieving optimal solutions is measured through numerical evaluation. The simulation results demonstrate that the presented technique based on Lévy‐flight firefly algorithm for this Joint problem in the uplink non‐orthogonal multiple access system performs better in terms of spectral efficiency than the standard orthogonal multiple access. Furthermore, the presented technique outperforms the firefly algorithm‐based method while reducing system complexity in uplink non‐orthogonal multiple access systems with the same restriction.