Optimization of Integer-Forcing Precoding for Multi-User MIMO Downlink

Abstract: Integer-forcing (IF) precoding is an alternative to linear precoding for multi-user (MU) multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) channels, with the potential to offer superior performance at a similar complexity. In this letter, a low-complexity suboptimal method is proposed to optimize the parameters of an IF scheme for any number of $K$ users. The proposed method involves solving a relaxation of the problem followed by the application of a lattice reduction algorithm and is shown to have an overall complexity of $\mathcal{O}(K^3)$. Simulation results show that the proposed method achieves a higher sum rate than a heuristic choice of parameters and significantly outperforms conventional linear precoding in all simulated scenarios.