A Generic Multi-dimensional Symbol Construction for Digital Over-the-Air Computation and Practical Aspects

In this paper, we propose a general-purpose multi-dimensional symbol construction for computing an arbitrary symmetric function with digital over-the-air computation (OAC) and discuss the practical aspects of coherent aggregation. For our first contribution, we discuss the categorical representation of a symmetric function. By using this representation and leveraging the sufficiency of the histogram to evaluate a symmetric function, i.e., inspired by type-based multiple access (TBMA), we introduce a general approach to design a single set of OAC symbols to compute any digital function. For our second contribution, we use a comprehensive platform based on low-cost nodes that maintain synchronization in time, frequency, phase, and amplitude via a trigger mechanism, enabling coherent OAC experiments without Global Positioning System (GPS) or cable-based synchronization. Using measurements from the platform, we characterize the phase and amplitude statistics of the composite channel to derive a realistic impairment model for coherent OAC. Through a comprehensive analysis, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme under impairments captured by the proposed model

Jutted BMOCZ for Non-Coherent OFDM

In this work, we propose a zero constellation for binary modulation on conjugate-reciprocal zeros (BMOCZ), called jutted BMOCZ (J-BMOCZ), and study its application to non-coherent orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). With J-BMOCZ, we introduce asymmetry to the zero constellation for Huffman BMOCZ, which removes ambiguity at the receiver under a uniform rotation of the zeros. The asymmetry is controlled by the magnitude of "jutted" zeros and enables the receiver to estimate zero rotation using a simple cross-correlation. The proposed method, however, leads to a natural trade-off between asymmetry and zero stability. Accordingly, we introduce a reliability metric to measure the stability of a polynomial's zeros under an additive perturbation of the coefficients, and we apply the metric to optimize the J-BMOCZ zero constellation parameters. We then combine the advantages of J-BMOCZ and Huffman BMOCZ to design a hybrid waveform for OFDM with BMOCZ (OFDM-BMOCZ). The pilot-free waveform enables blind synchronization/detection and has a fixed peak-to-average power ratio that is independent of the message. Finally, we assess the proposed scheme through simulation and demonstrate non-coherent OFDM-BMOCZ using low-cost software-defined radios.

KAN-AE with Non-Linearity Score and Symbolic Regression for Energy-Efficient Channel Coding

In this paper, we investigate Kolmogorov-Arnold network-based autoencoders (KAN-AEs) with symbolic regression (SR) for energy-efficient channel coding. By using SR, we convert KAN-AEs into symbolic expressions, which enables low-complexity implementation and improved energy efficiency at the radios. To further enhance the efficiency, we introduce a new non-linearity score term in the SR process to help select lower-complexity equations when possible. Through numerical simulations, we demonstrate that KAN-AEs achieve competitive BLER performance while improving energy efficiency when paired with SR. We score the energy efficiency of a KAN-AE implementation using the proposed non-linearity metric and compare it to a multi-layer perceptron-based autoencoder (MLP-AE). Our experiment shows that the KAN-AE paired with SR uses 1.38 times less energy than the MLP-AE, supporting that KAN-AEs are a promising choice for energy-efficient deep learning-based channel coding.

Learning Zero Constellations for Binary MOCZ in Fading Channels

In this work, we propose two methods to design zero constellations for binary modulation on conjugate-reciprocal zeros (BMOCZ). In the first approach, we treat constellation design as a multi-label binary classification problem and learn the zero locations for a direct zero-testing (DiZeT) decoder. In the second approach, we introduce a neural network (NN)-based decoder and jointly learn the decoder and zero constellation parameters. We show that the NN-based decoder can directly generalize to flat-fading channels, despite being trained under additive white Gaussian noise. Furthermore, the results of numerical simulations demonstrate that learned zero constellations outperform the canonical, Huffman BMOCZ constellation, with the proposed NN-based decoder achieving large performance gain at the expense of increased computational complexity.

A Smooshed BMOCZ Zero Constellation for CFO Estimation Without Channel Coding

In this study, we propose a new binary modulation on conjugate-reciprocal zeros (BMOCZ) zero constellation, which we call smooshed binary modulation on conjugate-reciprocal zeros (SBMOCZ), to address carrier frequency offset (CFO)-induced zero rotation without depending on channel coding. In our approach, we modify the phase mapping of Huffman BMOCZ by shrinking the angle between adjacent zeros, except for the first and last, to introduce a gap in the zero constellation. By discerning the gap location in the received polynomial, the receiver can estimate and correct the phase rotation. We demonstrate the error rate performance of SBMOCZ relative to Huffman BMOCZ, showing that SBMOCZ addresses a CFO-induced rotation at the cost of a modest performance reduction compared to Huffman BMOCZ in the absence of a CFO. Finally, we compare SBMOCZ to Huffman BMOCZ using a cyclically permutable code (CPC), showing a 4 dB bit error rate (BER) improvement in a fading channel, while demonstrating comparable performance across other simulations.

Fourier-Domain CFO Estimation Using Jutted Binary Modulation on Conjugate-Reciprocal Zeros

In this work, we propose jutted binary modulation on conjugate-reciprocal zeros (J-BMOCZ) for non-coherent communication under a carrier frequency offset (CFO). By introducing asymmetry to the Huffman BMOCZ zero constellation, we exploit the identical aperiodic auto-correlation function of BMOCZ to derive a Fourier-domain metric for CFO estimation. Unlike the existing methods for Huffman BMOCZ, which require a cyclically permutable code (CPC) for pilot-free CFO correction, J-BMOCZ enables the estimation of a CFO without the use of pilots or channel coding. Through numerical simulations in additive white Gaussian noise and fading channels, we show that the bit error rate (BER) loss of J-BMOCZ under a CFO is just 1 dB over Huffman BMOCZ without a CFO. Furthermore, the results show that coded J-BMOCZ achieves better BER performance than Huffman BMOCZ with a CPC.

On the Optimal Radius and Subcarrier Mapping for Binary Modulation on Conjugate-Reciprocal Zeros

In this work, we investigate the radius maximizing reliability for binary modulation on conjugate-reciprocal zeros (BMOCZ) implemented with both maximum likelihood (ML) and direct zero-testing (DiZeT) decoders. We first show that the optimal radius for BMOCZ is a function of the employed decoder and that the radius maximizing the minimum distance between polynomial zeros does not maximize the minimum distance of the final code. While maximizing zero separation offers an almost optimal solution with the DiZeT decoder, simulations show that the ML decoder outperforms the DiZeT decoder in both additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and fading channels when the radius is chosen to maximize codeword separation. Finally, we analyze different sequence-to-subcarrier mappings for BMOCZ-based orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). We highlight a flexible time-frequency OFDM waveform that avoids distortion introduced by a frequency-selective channel at the expense of a higher peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR).

Over-the-Air Majority Vote Computation with Modulation on Conjugate-Reciprocal Zeros

In this study, we propose a new approach to compute the majority vote (MV) function based on modulation on conjugate-reciprocal zeros (MOCZ) and introduce three different methods. The proposed methods rely on the fact that when a linear combination of polynomials is evaluated at one of the roots of a polynomial in the combination, that polynomial does contribute to the evaluation. To utilize this property, each transmitter maps the votes to the zeros of a Huffman polynomial, and the corresponding polynomial coefficients are transmitted. The receiver evaluates the polynomial constructed by the elements of the superposed sequence at conjugate-reciprocal zero pairs and detects the MV with a direct zero-testing (DiZeT) decoder. With differential and index-based encoders, we eliminate the need for power-delay information at the receiver while improving the computation error rate (CER) performance. The proposed methods do not use instantaneous channel state information at the transmitters and receiver. Thus, they provide robustness against phase and time synchronization errors. We theoretically analyze the CERs of the proposed methods. Finally, we demonstrate their efficacy in a distributed median computation scenario in a fading channel.

Reliable Majority Vote Computation with Complementary Sequences for UAV Waypoint Flight Control

In this study, we propose a non-coherent over-the-air computation (OAC) scheme to calculate the majority vote (MV) reliably in fading channels. The proposed approach relies on modulating the amplitude of the elements of complementary sequences (CSs) based on the sign of the parameters to be aggregated. Since it does not use channel state information at the nodes, it is compatible with time-varying channels. To demonstrate the efficacy of our method, we employ it in a scenario where an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is guided by distributed sensors, relying on the MV computed using our proposed scheme. We show that the proposed scheme reduces the computation error rate notably with a longer sequence length in fading channels while maintaining the peak-to-mean-envelope power ratio of the transmitted orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signals to be less than or equal to 3 dB.

Majority Vote Computation With Complementary Sequences for Distributed UAV Guidance

This study introduces a novel non-coherent over-the-air computation (OAC) scheme aimed at achieving reliable majority vote (MV) calculations in fading channels. The proposed approach relies on modulating the amplitude of the elements of complementary sequences (CSs) based on the sign of the parameters to be aggregated. Notably, our method eliminates the reliance on channel state information at the nodes, rendering it compatible with time-varying channels. To demonstrate the efficacy of our approach, we employ it in a scenario where an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is guided by distributed sensors, relying on the MV computed using our proposed scheme. The experimental results confirm the superiority of our approach, as evidenced by a significant reduction in computation error rates in fading channels, particularly with longer sequence lengths. Meanwhile, we ensure that the peak-to-mean-envelope power ratio of the transmitted orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signals remains within or below 3 dB.