# Latency-Aware Resource Allocation over Heterogeneous Networks: A Lorentz-Invariant Market Mechanism

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.03897 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.03897/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 6 of its 46 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 4 Apr 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [A Multifaceted Look at Starlink Performance](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.09242/) (2023)
- [Rethinking Strategic Mechanism Design In The Age Of Large Language Models: New Directions For Communication Systems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2412.00495/) (2024)
- [Statistical Characterization and Prediction of E2E Latency over LEO Satellite Networks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.08439/) (2026)
- [Settling the Communication Complexity of VCG-based Mechanisms for all Approximation Guarantees](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.00831/) (2024)
- [A Truthful Mechanism Design for Distributed Optimisation Algorithms in Networks with Self-interested Agents](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.20250/) (2025)
- [Incentive Mechanism Design for Resource Management in Satellite Networks: A Comprehensive Survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.03757/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We present a telecom-native auction mechanism for allocating bandwidth and time slots across heterogeneous-delay networks, ranging from low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellations to delay-tolerant deep-space relays. The Lorentz-Invariant Auction (LIA) treats bids as spacetime events and reweights reported values based on the horizon slack, a causal quantity derived from the earliest-arrival times relative to a public clearing horizon. Unlike other delay-equalization rules, LIA combines a causal-ordering formulation, a uniquely exponential slack correction implied by a semigroup-style invariance axiom, and a critical-value implementation that ensures truthful reported values once slacks are fixed by trusted infrastructure. We analyze the incentive result in the exogenous-slack regime and separately examine bounded slack-estimation error and endogenous-delay limitations. Under fixed feasible slacks, LIA is individually rational and achieves welfare at least (e-λDelta) relative to the optimal feasible allocation, where (Delta) is the slack spread. We evaluate LIA on STARLINK-200, INTERNET-100, and DSN-30 across 52,500 baseline instances with market sizes (n∈10,20,30,40,50) and conduct additional robustness sweeps. On Starlink and Internet, LIA maintains near-efficiency while eliminating measured timing rents. However, on DSN, welfare is lower in thin markets but improves with depth. We also distinguish winner-determination time from the background cost of maintaining slack estimates and study robustness beyond independent and identically distributed (iid) noise through error-spread bounds and structured (distance-biased and subnetwork-correlated) noise models. These results suggest that causal-consistent mechanism design offers a practical non-buffering alternative to synchronized delay equalization in heterogeneous telecom infrastructures.