Coalition structure is an efficient networking architecture for task implementation in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks. However, both the formation of coalition and the spectrum resource for intra-coalition communication affect the reconnaissance performance. In this paper, we investigate a cooperative reconnaissance and spectrum access (CRSA) scheme for task-driven heterogeneous coalition-based UAV networks by jointly optimizing task layer and resource layer. Specifically, coalition formation game (CFG) is formulated to jointly optimize task selection and bandwidth allocation. In addition to the traditional Pareto order and selfish order, coalition expected altruistic order maximizing coalitions' utility is proposed. The CFG under the proposed order is proved to be an exact potential game (EPG). Then the existence of stable coalition partition is guaranteed with the help of Nash equilibrium (NE). We propose a joint bandwidth allocation and coalition formation (JBACF) algorithm to achieve stable coalition partition wherein an efficient gradient projection (GP) based method is applied to solve bandwidth allocation. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme and algorithms are demonstrated through in-depth numerical simulations. The results show that our proposed CRSA scheme is superior to non-joint optimization scheme. Also, the proposed order is superior to traditional Pareto order and selfish order.

A heterogeneous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) network where UAVs carrying different resources form coalition and cooperatively carry out tasks is of crucial importance for fulfilling diverse tasks. However, the existing coalition formation (CF) game model only optimizes the composition of UAVs in a single coalition, which results in disjoined coalitions. In order to tackle this issue, a sequential overlapping coalition formation (OCF) game is proposed by considering the overlapping and complementary relations of resource properties and the task execution order. Moreover, different from the Pareto and selfish orders, a bilateral mutual benefit transfer (BMBT) order is proposed to optimize the cooperative task resource allocation through partial cooperation among overlapping coalition members. Furthermore, using the preference relation between UAVs carrying resources and tasks requiring the same type of resource, a preference gravity-guided tabu search (PGG-TS) algorithm is developed to obtain a stable coalition structure. Numerical results verify that the proposed PGG-TS algorithm increases the average utility of tasks by 12.5% and 38.5% compared with the split-merge preferred OCF algorithm and non-overlapping CF algorithm, respectively. The utility of the proposed BMBT order increases by 25.1% and 34.3% compared with selfish and Pareto orders, respectively.

Due to the inherently open and shared nature of the wireless channels, wireless communication networks are vulnerable to jamming attacks, and effective anti-jamming measures are of utmost importance to realize reliable communications. Game theory and reinforcement learning (RL) are powerful mathematical tools in anti-jamming field. This article investigates the anti-jamming problem from the perspective of game theory and RL. First, different anti-jamming domains and anti-jamming strategies are discussed, and technological challenges are globally analyzed from different perspectives. Second, an in-depth systematic and comprehensive survey of each kind of anti-jamming solutions (i.e., game theory and RL) is presented. To be specific, some game models are discussed for game theory based solutions, including Bayesian anti-jamming game, Stackelberg anti-jamming game, stochastic anti-jamming game, zero-sum anti-jamming game, graphical/hypergraphical anti-jamming game, etc. For RL-based anti-jamming solutions, different kinds of RL are given, including Q-learning, multi-armed bandit, deep RL and transfer RL. Third, the strengths and limitations are analyzed for each type of anti-jamming solutions. Finally, we discuss the deep integration of the game theory and RL in solving anti-jamming problems, and a few future research directions are illustrated.

Defensive and offensive capabilities are both significant in communication confrontation games. By exploiting the above two capabilities, a new confrontation mechanism in the spectrum domain between two opposing teams denoted as the blue team (BT) and red team (RT), is designed. The basic idea is that by sacrificing parts of ally performance to severely deteriorate the opponent side communications. Specifically, a friendly and smart jammer (assuming in the BT) is deployed to weaken opponent (i.e., members in the RT) communications without causing great damages to other BT members, while the smart RT members try to evade the jamming and alleviate mutual interference. The interactions among the friendly jammer and other nodes are modeled as a Stackelberg game, with each player seeking for their respective utility maximization. We prove that each sub-game is an exact potential game. To efficiently search for the equilibrium solutions, a parallel log-linear learning algorithm is proposed, based on which each user intelligently decides their spectrum access policies. Numerical results demonstrate that: 1) RT communications are effectively suppressed; meanwhile, mutual interference among ally BT communication pairs is significantly alleviated; 2) the proposed algorithm achieves a close-to-optimal solution; 3) compared with the current state of solutions, i.e., random selection, stochastic learning automata, our algorithm performs better in terms of both utility and convergence.

Recently, the development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) mobile-edge computing (MEC) networks has brought unprecedented gains and opportunities. In this article, the joint computation offloading, UAV role, and location selection problem in hierarchical multicoalition UAV MEC network is investigated. To capture the hierarchical feature and discrete optimization, the discrete Stackelberg game with multiple leaders and followers is formulated. We prove that both the leader-level and member-level subgames are ordinal potential games (OPGs) with Nash equilibrium (NE). Thus, the Stackelberg equilibrium (SE) is guaranteed. To achieve the SE, the log-linear-based hierarchical learning algorithm (LHLA) is proposed and analyzed. The simulation results show that the LHLA can converge fast and achieve better performance compared with the existing schemes.

Multi-band radiomap reconstruction (MB-RMR) is a key component in wireless communications for tasks such as spectrum management and network planning. However, traditional machine-learning-based MB-RMR methods, which rely heavily on simulated data or complete structured ground truth, face significant deployment challenges. These challenges stem from the differences between simulated and actual data, as well as the scarcity of real-world measurements. To address these challenges, our study presents RadioGAT, a novel framework based on Graph Attention Network (GAT) tailored for MB-RMR within a single area, eliminating the need for multi-region datasets. RadioGAT innovatively merges model-based spatial-spectral correlation encoding with data-driven radiomap generalization, thus minimizing the reliance on extensive data sources. The framework begins by transforming sparse multi-band data into a graph structure through an innovative encoding strategy that leverages radio propagation models to capture the spatial-spectral correlation inherent in the data. This graph-based representation not only simplifies data handling but also enables tailored label sampling during training, significantly enhancing the framework’s adaptability for deployment. Subsequently, The GAT is employed to generalize the radiomap information across various frequency bands. Extensive experiments using raytracing datasets based on real-world environments have demonstrated RadioGAT’s enhanced accuracy in supervised learning settings and its robustness in semi-supervised scenarios. These results underscore RadioGAT’s effectiveness and practicality for MB-RMR in environments with limited data availability.