Research Article

Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading

Volume: 38 Number: 2 June 30, 2026
TR EN

Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading

Abstract

The rapid growth of mobile data and user-centric offloading services (e.g., Wi-Fi or sidelink-based relays) requires association mechanisms that go beyond simple signal-strength-based attachment. In this paper, we study a centralized gateway–client association problem in a cellular system with sidelink-assisted offloading, instantiated on a single-cell LTE network with Wi-Fi-based device-to-device connectivity. We model the Multi-Objective Capacitated Client-Gateway Association Problem (MO-CGAP), where a controller assigns each client to at most one gateway, subject to gateway capacity and connectivity constraints, while (i) maximizing the number of connected clients, (ii) maximizing the aggregate achieved data rate, and (iii) minimizing the number of fully loaded gateways to promote load balancing. We show that MO-CGAP is NP-hard even for a single-objective throughput-maximization variant, which motivates heuristic solution methods. We design two metaheuristic algorithms tailored to MO-CGAP: a genetic algorithm (GA) with a problem-specific encoding, repair, and lexicographic fitness design, and a simulated annealing (SA) scheme that uses the same three-tier objective prioritization. Both are evaluated against a distributed RSSI-based association baseline under realistic cellular downlink and sidelink abstractions, across four spatial scenarios with varying hotspot clustering and different client loads. Numerical results show that GA and SA consistently achieve higher connectivity than the RSSI-based baseline and, for moderate client densities, also improve aggregate throughput and reduce the number of fully loaded gateways by distributing clients more evenly. GA typically yields slightly better throughput and fairness than SA. Although the numerical study is LTE-based, the problem formulation and solution framework are largely radio-access-agnostic and can be adapted to modern OFDMA systems such as 5G NR and NR sidelink-based relay architectures.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This work was supported by TUBITAK under Grant 115E389.

Project Number

115E389

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Evolutionary Computation, Network Engineering, Wireless Communication Systems and Technologies (Incl. Microwave and Millimetrewave)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2026

Submission Date

December 20, 2025

Acceptance Date

May 12, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 38 Number: 2

APA
Uludağ, K., & Korçak, Ö. (2026). Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences, 38(2), 365-385. https://doi.org/10.7240/jeps.1846009
AMA
1.Uludağ K, Korçak Ö. Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading. JEPS. 2026;38(2):365-385. doi:10.7240/jeps.1846009
Chicago
Uludağ, Kübra, and Ömer Korçak. 2026. “Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading”. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences 38 (2): 365-85. https://doi.org/10.7240/jeps.1846009.
EndNote
Uludağ K, Korçak Ö (June 1, 2026) Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences 38 2 365–385.
IEEE
[1]K. Uludağ and Ö. Korçak, “Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading”, JEPS, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 365–385, June 2026, doi: 10.7240/jeps.1846009.
ISNAD
Uludağ, Kübra - Korçak, Ömer. “Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading”. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences 38/2 (June 1, 2026): 365-385. https://doi.org/10.7240/jeps.1846009.
JAMA
1.Uludağ K, Korçak Ö. Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading. JEPS. 2026;38:365–385.
MLA
Uludağ, Kübra, and Ömer Korçak. “Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading”. International Journal of Advances in Engineering and Pure Sciences, vol. 38, no. 2, June 2026, pp. 365-8, doi:10.7240/jeps.1846009.
Vancouver
1.Kübra Uludağ, Ömer Korçak. Centralized Multi-Objective Client–Gateway Association for Sidelink-Assisted Cellular Offloading. JEPS. 2026 Jun. 1;38(2):365-8. doi:10.7240/jeps.1846009