  The problem of designing physical-layer network coding (PNC) schemes via
nested lattices is considered. Building on the compute-and-forward (C&F)
relaying strategy of Nazer and Gastpar, who demonstrated its asymptotic gain
using information-theoretic tools, an algebraic approach is taken to show its
potential in practical, non-asymptotic, settings. A general framework is
developed for studying nested-lattice-based PNC schemes---called lattice
network coding (LNC) schemes for short---by making a direct connection between
C&F and module theory. In particular, a generic LNC scheme is presented that
makes no assumptions on the underlying nested lattice code. C&F is
re-interpreted in this framework, and several generalized constructions of LNC
schemes are given. The generic LNC scheme naturally leads to a linear network
coding channel over modules, based on which non-coherent network coding can be
achieved. Next, performance/complexity tradeoffs of LNC schemes are studied,
with a particular focus on hypercube-shaped LNC schemes. The error probability
of this class of LNC schemes is largely determined by the minimum inter-coset
distances of the underlying nested lattice code. Several illustrative
hypercube-shaped LNC schemes are designed based on Construction A and D,
showing that nominal coding gains of 3 to 7.5 dB can be obtained with
reasonable decoding complexity. Finally, the possibility of decoding multiple
linear combinations is considered and related to the shortest independent
vectors problem. A notion of dominant solutions is developed together with a
suitable lattice-reduction-based algorithm.
