Cooperative devices and mechanisms are increasingly important to enhance the performance of wireless communications and networks, with their ability to decrease power consumption and packet loss rate and increase system capacity, computation, and network resilience. Considering the wide range of applications, strategies, and benefits associated with cooperative wireless communications, researchers and product developers need a succinct understanding of relevant theory, fundamentals, and techniques to navigate this challenging field. Cooperative Wireless Communications provides just that.Assesses Applications, Benefits, and Methods of Cooperative StrategiesThis comprehensive reference handbook contains useful background to develop and implement cooperative mechanisms for infrastructure-based wireless systems and self-organizing multi-hop wireless networks (e.g., ad hoc, mesh, peer-to-peer, and sensor networks). It introduces key cooperative strategies and details recent improvements to a variety of cooperative mechanisms and frameworks applicable in diverse scenarios.Addressing fundamentals and techniques, this invaluable reference: Offers comprehensive guidance on technical, practical, and deployment aspects of cooperative strategies and the latest IEEE standard specificationsExplores key challenges and solutions in 3G, B3G, 4G WiMAX, and ad hoc, mesh, and sensor networksCovers cooperative diversity, virtual MIMO, cognitive radio networks, and resource and mobility managementDiscusses energy efficiency, relaying strategy, routing, MAC, topology control, and securityProvides Guidance to Resolve Key ChallengesA distinct introduction to different cooperative mechanisms, cooperation frameworks in diverse scenarios, and recent improvements to wireles