Computer communication networks have come of age. Today, there is hardly
any professional, particularly in engineering, that has not been the
user of such a network. This proliferation requires the thorough
understanding of the behavior of networks by those who are responsible
for their operation as well as by those whose task it is to design such
networks. This is probably the reason for the large number of books,
monographs, and articles treating relevant issues, problems, and
solutions in this field. Among all computer network architectures, those
based on broadcast mul- tiple access channels stand out in their
uniqueness. These networks appear naturally in environments requiring
user mobility where the use of any fixed wiring is impossible and a
wireless channel is the only available option. Because of their
desirable characteristics multiple access networks are now used even in
environments where a wired point-to-point network could have been
installed. The understanding of the operation of multiple access network
through their performance analysis is the focus of this book.