Lifetime-aware over-the-air computation under correlated data sources and imperfect channel state information
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Over-the-Air Computation (AirComp) has emerged as a promising technique for efficient data aggregation in massive Internet of Things (IoT) networks. Most existing works rely on the ideal assumptions of perfect channel state information (CSI) and independent data sources, while overlooking the heterogeneity of battery-powered devices. This paper proposes a robust and lifetime-aware transceiver design framework for AirComp systems that simultaneously addresses channel estimation errors, source data correlation, and network sustainability. Specifically, we formulate the computation Mean Squared Error (MSE) minimization problem. By leveraging the data correlation structure to mitigate channel uncertainty, we derive a closed-form optimal power allocation policy. We also solve the problem of sum-power minimization subject to a Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirement. To further extend network longevity, we design a novel lifetime-aware resource allocation scheme based on a unified energy consumption rate, which ensures synchronized battery depletion across devices. We maximize network lifetime under the constraints of MSE and sum power. Simulations reveal that the proposed schemes achieve an average reduction in computation MSE of 12.71% and 14.93% against the sum-power and peak-power constrained benchmarks, respectively. For a fixed computation accuracy target, our designs yield an average power savings of 41.30% and 64.37% compared to the benchmarks.
Keywords
correlated data, imperfect channel state information (CSI), network lifetime, Over-the-Air Computation (AirComp), robust transceiver design
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
IEEE Internet of Things Journal
Publisher
IEEE
School
School of Engineering
Funding Information
National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number: 62101505) / Henan Province Major Science and Technology Project (Grant Number: 231100210100) / National Science Technology Major Project of China (Grant Number: 2025ZD1605600) / Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province under Grant (Grant Number: 252102211122)
Copyright
subscription content
Content Type
Metadata only
Recommended Citation
Shi, S., Shen, S., Hou, W., Wang, F., Ni, W., & Jamalipour, A. (2026). Lifetime-aware over-the-air computation under correlated data sources and imperfect channel state information. IEEE Internet of Things Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1109/JIOT.2026.3711919