Maximizing Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) Positioning in 5G Wireless Communication and Beyond Using Genetic Algorithms for Enhanced Spectral Efficiency

Maximizing Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) Positioning in 5G Wireless Communication and Beyond Using Genetic Algorithms for Enhanced Spectral Efficiency | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Maximizing Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) Positioning in 5G Wireless Communication and Beyond Using Genetic Algorithms for Enhanced Spectral Efficiency Emmanuel Ampoma Affum, Edward Danso Ansong, Kwame Oteng Gyasi, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6658865/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract IRS technology, which consists of passive elements that reflect signals with controlled phase shifts, offers a promising solution for improving signal quality and coverage without requiring additional active components. However, improving spectrum efficiency in IRS-Assisted wireless communication systems has proven extremely difficult due to the strategic placement of IRS phase elements, which has received little attention in academia. The performance degradation problem in IRS-assisted communication arises from the imperfect strategic positioning of IRS elements to achieve these objectives in complex IRS wireless environments. To fill this gap between fixed-height and variable-height IRS configurations, this paper addresses the challenge of optimizing IRS placement to maximize spectral efficiency while minimizing interference and resource usage. Fixed-height and variable-height IRS configurations were considered, and comprehensive system models were developed to tackle this challenge. The optimization problem, characterized by its highly non-linear nature, was approached using Genetic Algorithms. An equal phase shift IRS configuration was initially taken into consideration, in which all IRS elements applied the same phase shift to the incident signals. Because this configuration simplifies and reduces the complexity of the architecture. The findings from the simulations demonstrate that strategic IRS placement can lead to a significant improvement in spectral efficiency significantly compared to non-optimized placements. The study also reveals that even by simplifying equal phase shifts, IRS technology can effectively enhance system performance in scenarios where traditional line-of-sight communication is compromised. These results provide insights into how IRS placement can be optimized in various wireless communication scenarios.Finally, According to our findings, both fixed-height and variable-height IRS systems perform better than non-optimized systems; however, the variable-height IRS configuration shows the greatest increase in spectral efficiency. Generic Algorithm Spectral Effciency Intelligent Reflecting surface (IRS) Equal Phase Shifts IRS Configuration Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revision 18 Jul, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 May, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 14 May, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 13 May, 2025 First submitted to journal 13 May, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6658865","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":456637321,"identity":"18067484-849e-429e-9e5d-cd58c751755e","order_by":0,"name":"Emmanuel Ampoma Affum","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA40lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYNCDDwwMCaSoZ2ZgnEGyFmYeYrTwTzt78NGNGobEfv7zBz/bttnl8bM3MH74mINbi8TtvGTjnGMMiTNnJDNL57YlF0v2HGCWnLkNjzW3c8ykc9gYEjfcYGZjzm1jBjIS2Jh58WiRB2v5x5C4//xhNmbLtnrCWgxAWnLbgLYwJLMxM7YdJqzFEOSX3D4J4xk3ko0le84dT5zZc7AZr1/kbucefJzzzUa2v//gww8/yqoT+9mbD374iM/7DDwgQgLCZmQDkw341MO0wMAfAopHwSgYBaNgRAIARuRQTkK0UnQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6498-4000","institution":"Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Emmanuel","middleName":"Ampoma","lastName":"Affum","suffix":""},{"id":456637322,"identity":"63baadcd-6726-4078-9003-a1a5504ee906","order_by":1,"name":"Edward Danso Ansong","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Ghana","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Edward","middleName":"Danso","lastName":"Ansong","suffix":""},{"id":456637323,"identity":"7fc4f33c-97a6-4316-a925-036007b01969","order_by":2,"name":"Kwame Oteng Gyasi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology College of Science","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kwame","middleName":"Oteng","lastName":"Gyasi","suffix":""},{"id":456637324,"identity":"52be69f9-0cb0-48c5-a1e1-efe332d48a4a","order_by":3,"name":"Emmanuel Obuobi Kwame Addo","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Emmanuel","middleName":"Obuobi Kwame","lastName":"Addo","suffix":""},{"id":456637325,"identity":"e0781e34-ceba-4a97-a7b5-0943047772ef","order_by":4,"name":"Elvis Donkor","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Elvis","middleName":"","lastName":"Donkor","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-05-13 22:12:37","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6658865/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6658865/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":83030111,"identity":"76ab8ca7-344c-4e6c-bbf7-e6b8f5819888","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-05-19 08:55:50","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":582904,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"OptimizingThePlacementofIRSElements.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6658865/v1_covered_e53de391-ce7d-460d-8ec6-dc72d4b05ea4.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Maximizing Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) Positioning in 5G Wireless Communication and Beyond Using Genetic Algorithms for Enhanced Spectral Efficiency","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"eurasip-journal-on-wireless-communications-and-networking","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jwcn","sideBox":"Learn more about [EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking](http://jwcn-eurasipjournals.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/jwcn/default.aspx","title":"EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking","twitterHandle":"@SpringerEng","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Generic Algorithm, Spectral Effciency, Intelligent Reflecting surface (IRS), Equal Phase Shifts IRS Configuration","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6658865/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6658865/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"IRS technology, which consists of passive elements that reflect signals\nwith controlled phase shifts, offers a promising solution for improving signal quality\nand coverage without requiring additional active components. However, improving spectrum efficiency in IRS-Assisted wireless communication systems has proven extremely difficult due to the strategic placement of IRS phase elements, which has received little attention in academia. The performance degradation problem in IRS-assisted communication arises from the imperfect strategic positioning of IRS elements to achieve these objectives in complex IRS wireless environments. To fill this gap between fixed-height and variable-height IRS configurations, this paper addresses the challenge of optimizing IRS placement to maximize spectral efficiency while minimizing interference and resource usage. Fixed-height and variable-height IRS configurations were considered, and comprehensive system models were developed to tackle this challenge. The optimization problem, characterized by its highly non-linear nature, was approached using Genetic Algorithms. An equal phase shift IRS configuration was initially taken into consideration, in which all IRS elements applied the same phase shift to the incident signals. Because this configuration simplifies and reduces the complexity of the architecture. The findings from the simulations demonstrate that strategic IRS placement can lead to a significant improvement in spectral efficiency significantly compared to\nnon-optimized placements. The study also reveals that even by simplifying equal phase shifts, IRS technology can effectively enhance system performance in scenarios where traditional line-of-sight communication is compromised. These results provide insights into how IRS placement can be optimized in various wireless communication\nscenarios.Finally, According to our findings, both fixed-height and variable-height IRS systems perform better than non-optimized systems; however, the variable-height IRS configuration shows the greatest increase in spectral efficiency.","manuscriptTitle":"Maximizing Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) Positioning in 5G Wireless Communication and Beyond Using Genetic Algorithms for Enhanced Spectral Efficiency","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-05-19 08:31:45","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6658865/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Major revision","date":"2025-07-18T12:07:09+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-05-14T16:47:13+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-05-14T15:28:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-05-14T02:14:33+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking","date":"2025-05-13T18:12:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"eurasip-journal-on-wireless-communications-and-networking","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jwcn","sideBox":"Learn more about [EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking](http://jwcn-eurasipjournals.springeropen.com)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/jwcn/default.aspx","title":"EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking","twitterHandle":"@SpringerEng","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"a05e1b3d-720c-47f4-924b-12bb7667f369","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 19th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"in-revision","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-07-18T16:08:03+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-05-19 08:31:45","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6658865","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6658865","identity":"rs-6658865","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}