App. Res. of Comp. Accepted Paper
Vol. 43, 2026 No. 4

Multi-hop task offloading strategy with SDN assistance and game-theoretic incentives

Li Zuopeng1,2a,2b
Huang Shiyu1
Jia Zetong1
1. School of Information and Electrical Engineering, Hebei University of Engineering, Handan Hebei 056038, China
2. a. Hebei Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber Biosensing and Communication Devices, b. School of Information Engineering, Handan University, Handan 056005, China
DOI: 10.19734/j.issn.1001-3695.2025.09.0305

Abstract

Multi-hop task offloading expands the collaboration range and improves resource utilization and scheduling flexibility in edge networks, whereas one-hop offloading remains constrained by communication distance and limited available resources, making it inadequate under high-load conditions. However, multi-hop offloading introduces strong coupling between path selection and computation allocation, and idle devices lack incentives to contribute computing or forwarding capabilities. To address these challenges, this paper developed a centralized SDN-based cooperative offloading framework that leveraged global network visibility to jointly optimize communication and computation resources, and incorporated a task-priority mechanism to alleviate link contention in multi-task scenarios. In addition, this paper designed a Stackelberg game–based pricing model to incentivize idle devices to participate in computation and forwarding, thereby jointly improving delay and energy performance. Building on this framework, this paper proposed the BGLS-PPO (Bellman-Guided Look-ahead Sampling PPO) algorithm, which integrated a one-step Bellman-based look-ahead estimate into the action selection process to enhance exploration efficiency and convergence stability. Simulation results demonstrate that multi-hop offloading significantly outperforms one-hop schemes in overall system utility, and the proposed method exhibits superior adaptability and robustness compared with existing baselines.

Foundation Support

国家自然科学基金资助项目(62101174)
河北省高等学校科学技术研究项目(BJK2022025)
河北省光纤生物传感与通信器件重点实验室(SZX2022010)
邯郸市科学技术研究与发展计划项目(24422021193ZC)

Publish Information

DOI: 10.19734/j.issn.1001-3695.2025.09.0305
Publish at: Application Research of Computers Accepted Paper, Vol. 43, 2026 No. 4

Publish History

[2025-12-18] Accepted Paper

Cite This Article

黎作鹏, 黄时宇, 贾泽桐. SDN辅助与博弈激励的多跳任务卸载策略 [J]. 计算机应用研究, 2026, 43 (4). (2025-12-19). https://doi.org/10.19734/j.issn.1001-3695.2025.09.0305. (Li Zuopeng, Huang Shiyu, Jia Zetong. Multi-hop task offloading strategy with SDN assistance and game-theoretic incentives [J]. Application Research of Computers, 2026, 43 (4). (2025-12-19). https://doi.org/10.19734/j.issn.1001-3695.2025.09.0305. )

About the Journal

  • Application Research of Computers Monthly Journal
  • Journal ID ISSN 1001-3695
    CN  51-1196/TP

Application Research of Computers, founded in 1984, is an academic journal of computing technology sponsored by Sichuan Institute of Computer Sciences under the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province.

Aiming at the urgently needed cutting-edge technology in this discipline, Application Research of Computers reflects the mainstream technology, hot technology and the latest development trend of computer application research at home and abroad in a timely manner. The main contents of the journal include high-level academic papers in this discipline, the latest scientific research results and major application results. The contents of the columns involve new theories of computer discipline, basic computer theory, algorithm theory research, algorithm design and analysis, blockchain technology, system software and software engineering technology, pattern recognition and artificial intelligence, architecture, advanced computing, parallel processing, database technology, computer network and communication technology, information security technology, computer image graphics and its latest hot application technology.

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