Random access network

A random access network lets stations make transmission attempts independently using a shared medium. A collision can prevent all attempted packets from being delivered; slotted ALOHA adjusts attempt probabilities using slot feedback.

Time is divided into slots, and a slot succeeds exactly when one station transmits. With backlog $N$ and independent attempt probability $p$, the success probability is $Np(1-p{)}^{N-1}$. Fluid approximation of slotted ALOHA replaces the large-system binomial probabilities by Poisson probabilities.

When backlog $N$ and attempt-control scale $S$ are large with $N/S\approx \kappa$, idle and success probabilities approach $e^{-\kappa }$ and $\kappa e^{-\kappa }$. Expected update increments then motivate a fluid model described by ordinary differential equations.

For $N\ge 2$ backlogged stations, the largest one-slot success probability is $(1-1/N{)}^{N-1}$, attained at $p=1/N$. Its limit is $e^{-1}$; the exact finite-$N$ maximum is larger, and for $N=1$ it is one.