The Optimal Input Distribution for Partial Decode-and-Forward in the MIMO Relay Channel

This paper considers the partial decode-and-forward (PDF) strategy for the Gaussian multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) relay channel. Unlike for the decode-and-forward (DF) strategy or point-to-point (P2P) transmission, for which Gaussian channel inputs are known to be optimal, the input distribution that maximizes the achievable PDF rate for the Gaussian MIMO relay channel has remained unknown so far. For some special cases, e.g., for relay channels where the optimal PDF strategy reduces to DF or P2P transmission, it could be deduced that Gaussian inputs maximize the PDF rate. For the general case, however, the problem has remained open until now. In this work, we solve this problem by proving that the maximum achievable PDF rate for the Gaussian MIMO relay channel is always attained by Gaussian channel inputs. Our proof relies on the channel enhancement technique, which was originally introduced by Weingarten et al. to derive the (private message) capacity region of the Gaussian MIMO broadcast channel. By combining this technique with a primal decomposition approach, we first establish that jointly Gaussian source and relay inputs maximize the achievable PDF rate for the aligned Gaussian MIMO relay channel. Subsequently, we use a limiting argument to extend this result from the aligned to the general Gaussian MIMO relay channel.