AI-based End-to-End (E2E) Directional network slicing with guaranteed QoS over a highly dynamic network

The purpose of this research is to develop autonomously managed slicing of network resources in 5G/6G Networks that are expected to support many use cases ranging from autonomous vehicles, e-health, industry 4.0, entertainment, transport, smart cities etc. which will place a wide range of Quality of Service technical requirements 5G Network.

The 5G network is expected to consist of a mix of Macro, Micro and Pico cells within which communications (link and slice capacities), computational and storage resources will require to be located. Managing the deployment of mix of Macro, Micro and Pico cells and the communications, computational and storage resources to support these use cases will be require solving the set of all NP decision problems using a non-deterministic algorithm in polynomial time.

The objective of this research is to: 1. Study a range of use cases that will be required to co-exist and develop user, functional and technical requirements of 5G technical resources. 2. Develop the Problem model: A problem model is an abstract mathematical representation that captures the main characteristics of the problem to be optimised. Usually, models are intelligent simplifications of reality. It involves approximations/assumptions and sometimes may skip processes that are complex to represent mathematically but can easily be modified and is still able to provide useful insights to the modelled problem. 3. Develop the Problem formulation: Identify a set of decision variables, objective(s) and constraints that characterise the problem. 4. Develop the Optimisation Method: Once the optimisation problem is formulated, the next step is to autonomously solve the model using reinforcement learning, which finds the optimal values of the state, action and reward variable(s) to the model based on the objectives(s) and respecting the constraint(s) of the problem.

Typically, efficient algorithms are developed to solve the model, either to optimality or approximately. 5. Regardless of the meta-heuristic algorithm considered to solve a given optimisation problem, there are three core design questions common to all meta-heuristics in approaching an optimisation problem; the, definition of the states, actions and rewards that will guide the autonomous adaptation to the environment, and the definition of variation operators that move the algorithm from one point in the search space to another.

Research journey

Doctoral research programmes (PhDs) take a proud place in the world-class research environment and community at Brunel. PhD students are recognised and valued by their supervisors as an essential part of their departments and a key component of the university's overall strategy to develop and deliver world-class research.

A PhD programme is expected to take 3 years full-time or 6 years part-time, with intakes starting in January, April or October.

The general University entrance requirement for registration for a research degree is normally a First or Upper Second Class Honours degree (1st or 2:1) or an international equivalent. A Masters degree is a welcome, but not required, qualification for entry.

Find out how to apply for a PhD at Brunel

Research support

Excellent research support and training

The Graduate School provides a range of personal, professional and career development opportunities. This includes workshops, online training, coaching and events, to enable you to enhance your professional profile, refine your skills, and plan your next career steps as part of the Researcher Development Programme. The researcher development programme (RDP) offers workshops and seminars in a range of areas including progression, research management, research dissemination, and careers and personal development. You will also be offered a number of online, self-study courses on BBL, including Research Integrity, Research Skills Toolkit, Research Methods in Literature Review and Principles of Research Methods.

Library services

Brunel's Library is open 24 hours a day, has 400,000 books and 250,000 ebooks, and an annual budget of almost £2m. Subject information Specialists train students in the latest technology, digital literacy, and digital dissemination of scholarly outputs. As well as the physical resources available in the Library, we also provide access to a wealth of electronic resources. These include databases, journals and e-books. Access to these resources has been bought by the Library through subscription and is limited to current staff and students. 

Dedicated research support staff provide guidance and training on open access, research data management, copyright and other research integrity issues.

Find out more: Brunel Library

Careers support

You will receive tailored careers support during your PhD and for up to three years after you complete your research at Brunel. We encourage you to actively engage in career planning and managing your personal development right from the start of your research, even (or perhaps especially) if you don't yet have a career path in mind. Our careers provision includes online information and advice, one-to-one consultations and a range of events and workshops. The Professional Development Centre runs a varied programme of careers events throughout the academic year. These include industry insight sessions, recruitment fairs, employer pop-ups and skills workshops.