Junshan Zhang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-7206

Office: GWC 411D

Phone: (480) 727-7389

Fax: (480) 965-8325

E-mail: FIRST name dot LAST name at ASU dot EDU

Please contact Cynthia Moayedpardazi at 480 965-5311 in case you could not reach me.

My research interests fall in the fields of communication networks (particularly wireless ad-hoc networks and sensor networks), information theory, and stochastic modeling and optimization. I have been pursuing research in two major areas: 1) cross-layer optimization and design in wireless networks and 2) information theory. Together, these two areas have a wide range of intellectual emphasis. I believe that to make great impact, engineering research should be application-driven and high-quality research should bridge theory and practice, and researchers should build a broad spectrum to follow the cutting-edge applications and meet the demands therein.

My research draws on a synergy of advanced mathematical tools to deliver practical network solutions. Recent research activities in our group include using optimal stopping theory to devise channel aware distributed scheduling for ad-hoc networks, investigating the impact of noisy feedback on stochastic network utility maximization for QoS provisioning, joint MAC design and routing for MIMO ad-hoc networks, self-similarity of multi-access interference and resource allocation in wireless CDMA networks, throughput scaling and power allocation in ad-hoc/sensor networks, capacity bounds of MIMO relay channels, Large system analysis of CDMA networks, rate distortion theory, and a complex network view of ad-hoc/sensor networks. Notably, our research group is among the first few groups in two areas: 1) cross-layer optimization and 2) wireless relay networks; and our research results in these areas have been well received.

Traditionally, researchers in networking research and information theory investigate research problems using "different languages". The fast growing area of wireless networks (particularly network optimization and network information theory) serves as a nice bridge between these two communities. Since Fall 2000, we have carried out research on cross-layer optimization and control for different network models, including wireless cellular networks, ad-hoc networks and sensor networks. Given that cross-layer optimization was a relatively new open research area, I organized a panel on ``Defining cross-layer design in wireless networks'' at ICC 2003.

News:

The paper "Distributed Opportunistic Scheduling For Ad-Hoc Networks With Random Access: An Optimal Stopping Approach," by D. Zheng, W. Ge and J. Zhang has been profiled and highlighted by the Technical Insights division of Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting firm www.ti.frost.com .
 

Recent Research Projects

Cross-layer optimization in wireless networks:

• Channel aware distributed scheduling for ad-hoc networks ;
• Stochatic Network utility maximization for QoS provisioning ;
• Cooperative sensor networks ;
• MIMO ad-hoc networks ;
• Complex network view of ad-hoc/sensor networks ;
• Self-similarity of multi-access interference and resource allocation in wireless CDMA networks ;

Information theory:

• Large scale ad-hoc/sensor networks ;
• capacity bounds of MIMO relay channels ;
• Throughput scaling of wireless relay networks ;
• Power allocation for wireless relay networks ;
• Large system analysis of CDMA networks ;
• Rate distortion theory .

• ``Distributed Opportunistic Scheduling for Ad-Hoc Communications: An Optimal Stopping Approach,'' ISS Seminar, Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, June 2007.
  
  
• ``Distributed Opportunistic Scheduling for Ad-Hoc Communications: An Optimal Stopping Approach,'' WINLAB, Rutgers University, June 2007.
  
  
• "Fundamental Tradeoff between Channel Probing and Data Transmission in Wireless Ad-hoc/Sensor Networks," Coordinated Science Lab, Dept. of ECE, Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Feb. 2007.
  
  
• "Distributed Network Utility Maximization in Multi-hop Wireless Networks: Noisy Feedback, Lossy Channel and Stability,'' Dept. of EECS, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, Feb. 2007.
  
  
• "Distributed Network Utility Maximization in Multi-hop Wireless Networks: Noisy Feedback, Lossy Channel and Stability," Dept. of ECE, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN, Dec. 2006.
  
  
• "Distributed Network Utility Maximization in Multi-hop Wireless Networks: Noisy Feedback, Lossy Channel and Stability,'' Dept. of ECE, Univ. of Maryland, College Park, Oct. 2006.
  
  
• "Cross-Layer Rate Control in Multi-hop Networks," Dept. of ECE, Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, Sept. 2006.
  
  
• "Energy Efficient Data Transport in Wireless Relay Networks: Cooperative Relaying, Scaling Laws, and Coalition-Aided Routing," Department of ECE, Syracuse University, June 2006.
  
  
• "A Stochastic Primal-Dual Algorithm for Joint Flow Control and MAC Design in Multi-hop Wireless Networks," in Session on Optimization of Communication Networks, 40th Conference on Information Science and Systems (CISS), Princeton University, March 2006.
  
  
• "Throughput Scaling in Wideband Sensory Relay Networks: Cooperative Relaying, Power Allocation and Scaling Laws," in MSRI Workshop on Mathematics of Relaying and Cooperation in Communication Networks, Mathematical Science Research Center, Berkeley, April 2006.