A CDMA multiuser detection algorithm on the basis of belief propagation

An iterative algorithm for the multiuser detection problem that arises in code division multiple access (CDMA) systems is developed on the basis of Pearl's belief propagation (BP). We show that the BP-based algorithm exhibits nearly optimal performance in a practical time scale by utilizing the central limit theorem and self-averaging property appropriately, whereas direct application of BP to the detection problem is computationally difficult and far from practical. We further present close relationships of the proposed algorithm to the Thouless–Anderson–Palmer approach and replica analysis known in spin-glass research.