Learning-Augmented Online Minimization of Age of Information and Transmission Costs

We consider a discrete-time system where a resource-constrained source (e.g., a small sensor) transmits its time-sensitive data to a destination over a time-varying wireless channel. Each transmission incurs a fixed transmission cost (e.g., energy cost), and no transmission results in a staleness co...

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Published in:IEEE transactions on network science and engineering Vol. 12; no. 5; pp. 3480 - 3496
Main Authors: Liu, Zhongdong, Zhang, Keyuan, Li, Bin, Sun, Yin, Hou, Y. Thomas, Ji, Bo
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Piscataway IEEE 01.09.2025
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Subjects:
Age-of-information
Algorithms
Approximation algorithms
Consistency
Costs
Data integrity
Discrete time systems
Energy costs
Internet of Things
learning-augmented algorithm
Machine learning
Machine learning algorithms
online algorithm
Optimization
Prediction algorithms
Prediction models
Robustness
Staling
transmission cost
Uncertainty
Wireless sensor networks
ISSN:2327-4697, 2334-329X
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Abstract We consider a discrete-time system where a resource-constrained source (e.g., a small sensor) transmits its time-sensitive data to a destination over a time-varying wireless channel. Each transmission incurs a fixed transmission cost (e.g., energy cost), and no transmission results in a staleness cost represented by the Age-of-Information . The source must balance the tradeoff between transmission and staleness costs. To address this challenge, we develop a robust online algorithm to minimize the sum of transmission and staleness costs, ensuring a worst-case performance guarantee. While online algorithms are robust, they are usually overly conservative and may have a poor average performance in typical scenarios. In contrast, by leveraging historical data and prediction models, machine learning (ML) algorithms perform well in average cases. However, they typically lack worst-case performance guarantees. To achieve the best of both worlds, we design a learning-augmented online algorithm that exhibits two desired properties: (i) consistency : closely approximating the optimal offline algorithm when the ML prediction is accurate and trusted; (ii) robustness : ensuring worst-case performance guarantee even ML predictions are inaccurate. Finally, we perform extensive simulations to show that our online algorithm performs well empirically and that our learning-augmented algorithm achieves both consistency and robustness.
AbstractList We consider a discrete-time system where a resource-constrained source (e.g., a small sensor) transmits its time-sensitive data to a destination over a time-varying wireless channel. Each transmission incurs a fixed transmission cost (e.g., energy cost), and no transmission results in a staleness cost represented by the Age-of-Information. The source must balance the tradeoff between transmission and staleness costs. To address this challenge, we develop a robust online algorithm to minimize the sum of transmission and staleness costs, ensuring a worst-case performance guarantee. While online algorithms are robust, they are usually overly conservative and may have a poor average performance in typical scenarios. In contrast, by leveraging historical data and prediction models, machine learning (ML) algorithms perform well in average cases. However, they typically lack worst-case performance guarantees. To achieve the best of both worlds, we design a learning-augmented online algorithm that exhibits two desired properties: (i) consistency: closely approximating the optimal offline algorithm when the ML prediction is accurate and trusted; (ii) robustness: ensuring worst-case performance guarantee even ML predictions are inaccurate. Finally, we perform extensive simulations to show that our online algorithm performs well empirically and that our learning-augmented algorithm achieves both consistency and robustness.
Author Ji, Bo
Zhang, Keyuan
Li, Bin
Sun, Yin
Liu, Zhongdong
Hou, Y. Thomas
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SubjectTerms Age-of-information
Algorithms
Approximation algorithms
Consistency
Costs
Data integrity
Discrete time systems
Energy costs
Internet of Things
learning-augmented algorithm
Machine learning
Machine learning algorithms
online algorithm
Optimization
Prediction algorithms
Prediction models
Robustness
Staling
transmission cost
Uncertainty
Wireless sensor networks
Title Learning-Augmented Online Minimization of Age of Information and Transmission Costs
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Volume 12
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