Co‐opetitive mean field type game based task offloading strategy in multi‐access edge computing networks

Abstract

Abstract In this paper, a novel co‐operative mean field type game based task offloading strategy is proposed for multi‐access edge computing networks. The objective is to optimally determine the tasks offloaded to each edge computing node (ECN) in the network so that to balance the overall system performance and individual revenue of each ECN. To do so, the utility function of each ECN is first formulated, which is the payback of his time and energy cost for processing the tasks, tailed with the penalty from the network for not processing the tasks on time. A mean field type game is then formulated, where each ECN can either cooperate or compete with each other to maximize their own utility. With respect to the proposed game, the direct method is applied to find the final solutions. Simulation results reveal that the proposed strategy can well balance the utility of each ECN and the overall efficiency of the system, leading to a better performance compared with its cooperative‐ and competitive‐counterparts.