Symmetry/Asymmetry in Wireless Communication and Sensors

Dear Colleagues,

Recent wireless communication and sensor systems are increasingly affected by symmetry in regard to their network topology, channel properties, energy profiles, traffic patterns, and device capabilities. This Special Issue examines theoretical, algorithmic, and practical consequences of symmetry and asymmetry in IoT, 6G, UAV networks, energy harvesting systems, and intelligent sensors.

Asymmetry reflects real-world restrictions and adds complex but new optimization possibilities, whereas symmetry simplifies and strengthens design. For next-generation wireless systems, understanding how symmetry and asymmetry impact network dependability, security, resource allocation, and performance is crucial.

This Special Issue encourages original research, reviews, and application-driven studies on modeling, measuring, and exploiting symmetry/asymmetry in wireless and sensor technologies.

Topics of Interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Symmetry/asymmetry in channel and signal models:

• Symmetric vs. asymmetric fading channels;
• Asymmetric channel state information (perfect/imperfect at Tx/Rx);
• Symmetry in MIMO or RIS-assisted systems;
• Impact of asymmetric pointing errors in THz/FSO systems.

Hardware and device-level asymmetry:

• Asymmetric transceiver design (IQ imbalance, PA nonlinearity, antenna diversity);
• Sensor heterogeneity in wireless sensor networks (WSNs);
• Power and computational asymmetry in edge/cloud/fog networks;
• Design for Systems with Residual Hardware Impairments.

Traffic and communication patterns:

• Uplink/downlink asymmetry in IoT and smart sensing;
• Traffic symmetry in multi-access or relay-based communication;
• Asymmetric communication in UAV and satellite systems.

Energy and resource asymmetry:

• Symmetric vs. asymmetric energy harvesting and storage;
• Load balancing and energy-efficient routing under asymmetric battery constraints;
• Unequal energy consumption in mobile and static nodes.

Machine learning and optimization in asymmetric networks:

• Federated learning over asymmetric wireless and sensor networks;
• Machine learning for communication over asymmetric channels;
• Optimal stopping theory for decision-making under asymmetric information;
• Reinforcement and distributed learning in heterogeneous IoT environments.

Security and privacy under asymmetry:

• Physical layer security with asymmetric information (CSI, SNR);
• Covert communication and eavesdropping with asymmetric capabilities;
• Trust and reputation asymmetry in collaborative sensor environments.

Algorithmic and network-level asymmetry:

• Asymmetric cooperative communication protocols;
• Scheduling and MAC layer designs under asymmetric link conditions;
• Learning-based optimization in asymmetric environments (e.g., federated learning).

Applications: Symmetry/asymmetry-aware design in

• 6G networks;
• Smart cities and industrial IoT;
• Body area and vehicular sensor networks;
• Environmental and agricultural sensing.

Prof. Dr. Faissal El Bouanani
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the Special Issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.