# Age of Information: An Introduction and Survey

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.08564 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.08564/

## Key facts

- Cited by 70 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 16 Jul 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 30 of 70)

- [Beyond Transmitting Bits: Context, Semantics, and Task-Oriented Communications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.09353/) (2022)
- [Edge Artificial Intelligence for 6G: Vision, Enabling Technologies, and Applications](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2111.12444/) (2021)
- [Will 6G be Semantic Communications? Opportunities and Challenges from Task Oriented and Secure Communications to Integrated Sensing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.01531/) (2024)
- [Convergence Acceleration in Wireless Federated Learning: A Stackelberg Game Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.06623/) (2022)
- [Semantics-Empowered Communication: A Tutorial-cum-Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2212.08487/) (2022)
- [Joint Age-based Client Selection and Resource Allocation for Communication-Efficient Federated Learning over NOMA Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.08996/) (2023)
- [Deep Learning for Wireless Networked Systems: a joint Estimation-Control-Scheduling Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.00673/) (2022)
- [Agent-driven Generative Semantic Communication with Cross-Modality and Prediction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.06997/) (2024)
- ["X of Information'' Continuum: A Survey on AI-Driven Multi-dimensional Metrics for Next-Generation Networked Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.19657/) (2025)
- [Effective Communication with Dynamic Feature Compression](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.16236/) (2024)
- [Timely Communications for Remote Inference](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.16281/) (2024)
- [Communication and Control Co-Design in 6G: Sequential Decision-Making with LLMs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.06227/) (2024)
- [DRL-Based Optimization for AoI and Energy Consumption in C-V2X Enabled IoV](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.13104/) (2024)
- [Resource-Aware Asynchronous Online Federated Learning for Nonlinear Regression](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2111.13931/) (2021)
- [Semantic Edge Computing and Semantic Communications in 6G Networks: A Unifying Survey and Research Challenges](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2411.18199/) (2024)
- [RADAMS: Resilient and Adaptive Alert and Attention Management Strategy against Informational Denial-of-Service (IDoS) Attacks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2111.03463/) (2021)
- [On the Decentralization of Blockchain-enabled Asynchronous Federated Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2205.10201/) (2022)
- [How Does Data Freshness Affect Real-time Supervised Learning?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2208.06948/) (2022)
- [Semantic and Effective Communication for Remote Control Tasks with Dynamic Feature Compression](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.05901/) (2023)
- [Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Pragmatic Communication and Control](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2302.14399/) (2023)
- [Value of Information and Timing-aware Scheduling for Federated Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.10512/) (2023)
- [A Survey on Semantic Communications in Internet of Vehicles](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.03767/) (2025)
- [AoI-minimizing Scheduling in UAV-relayed IoT Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.05181/) (2021)
- [Asynchronous Online Federated Learning with Reduced Communication Requirements](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2303.15226/) (2023)
- [Learning-augmented Online Minimization of Age of Information and Transmission Costs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.02573/) (2024)
- [Learning Sub-Second Routing Optimization in Computer Networks requires Packet-Level Dynamics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.10377/) (2024)
- [To Compute or not to Compute? Adaptive Smart Sensing in Resource-Constrained Edge Computing](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2209.02166/) (2022)
- [Ensemble DNN for Age-of-Information Minimization in UAV-assisted Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2309.02913/) (2023)
- [Collaborative Optimization of the Age of Information under Partial Observability](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2312.12977/) (2023)
- [Integrated Push-and-Pull Update Model for Goal-Oriented Effective Communication](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.14092/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We summarize recent contributions in the broad area of age of information (AoI). In particular, we describe the current state of the art in the design and optimization of low-latency cyberphysical systems and applications in which sources send time-stamped status updates to interested recipients. These applications desire status updates at the recipients to be as timely as possible; however, this is typically constrained by limited system resources. We describe AoI timeliness metrics and present general methods of AoI evaluation analysis that are applicable to a wide variety of sources and systems. Starting from elementary single-server queues, we apply these AoI methods to a range of increasingly complex systems, including energy harvesting sensors transmitting over noisy channels, parallel server systems, queueing networks, and various single-hop and multi-hop wireless networks. We also explore how update age is related to MMSE methods of sampling, estimation and control of stochastic processes. The paper concludes with a review of efforts to employ age optimization in cyberphysical applications.