There are many textbooks to choose between when learning the basics of wireless communications. In this episode, Erik G. Larsson and Emil Björnson discuss the recent book “Introduction to Multiple Antenna Communications and Reconfigurable Surfaces” that Emil has written together with Özlem Tugfe Demir. The conversation focuses on ten subtopics that are covered by the book and differentiates it from many previous textbooks. These are related to the dimensionality of physical constants, the choice of performance metrics, and the motivation behind OFDM signaling. Various system modeling characteristics are discussed, including how the antenna array geometry impacts the channel, dual-polarized signals, carrier frequency dependencies, and the connection between models for small-scale fading and radar cross-sections. The role of non-orthogonal multiple access, hybrid beamforming, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces are also covered. The textbook is meant for teaching an introductory course on the topic and can be freely downloaded from https://www.nowpublishers.com/NowOpen

Music: On the Verge by Joseph McDade. Visit Erik’s website https://liu.se/en/employee/erila39 and Emil’s website https://ebjornson.com/