The Gamma-Gamma Signal Fading Model: A Survey

In a wireless communication medium, the received signal envelope fluctuates randomly due to the scattering nature of these channels. This paper is intended to present a comprehensive literature review on the gamma-gamma signal fading model and its use in the performance analysis of different communication systems, with more elaboration on wireless radio-frequency (RF) communication networks, including cellular and relay networks, and wireless optical networks. First, the different communication channels where the gamma-gamma distribution is used to model the signal-fading phenomena are described. Second, the reported results on the statistics for the gamma-gamma distribution, including the product, the quotient, the sum, and the order statistics are presented. Finally, the performance analyses carried out in the open literature for wireless RF systems, relay networks, and wireless optical systems are summarized, and some possible directions for future research are highlighted.