Multiagent Systems is the title of a collection of papers dedicated to surveying specific themes of Multiagent Systems (MAS) and Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI). All of them authored by leading researchers of this dynamic multidisciplinary field.

/pdf/multiagent-systems-a-modern-approach-to-distributed-5fon0donq1.pdf

Multiagent systems: a modern approach to distributed artificial intelligence

The agent computing paradigm is rapidly emerging as one of the powerful technologies for the development of large-scale distributed systems to deal with the uncertainty in a dynamic environment. The domain of traffic and transportation systems is well suited for an agent-based approach because transportation systems are usually geographically distributed in dynamic changing environments. Our literature survey shows that the techniques and methods resulting from the field of agent and multiagent systems have been applied to many aspects of traffic and transportation systems, including modeling and simulation, dynamic routing and congestion management, and intelligent traffic control. This paper examines an agent-based approach and its applications in different modes of transportation, including roadway, railway, and air transportation. This paper also addresses some critical issues in developing agent-based traffic control and management systems, such as interoperability, flexibility, and extendibility. Finally, several future research directions toward the successful deployment of agent technology in traffic and transportation systems are discussed.

A Review of the Applications of Agent Technology in Traffic and Transportation Systems

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication is an emerging technology to provide ubiquitous connectivity among devices without human intervention. The cellular networks are considered a ready-to-use infrastructure to implement M2M communications. However, M2M communications over cellular pose significant challenges to cellular networks due to different data transactions, diverse applications, and a large number of connections. To support such a large number of devices, M2M system architecture should be extremely power and spectrum efficient. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on M2M communications in the context of the Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and Long-Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A). More specifically, this paper presents architectural enhancements for providing M2M services in 3GPP LTE/LTE-A networks and reviews the features and requirements of M2M applications. In addition, the signal overheads and various quality-of-service (QoS) requirements in M2M communications also deserve our attention. We address M2M challenges over 3GPP LTE/LTE-A and also identify the issues on diverse random access overload control to avoid congestion caused by random channel access of M2M devices. Different application scenarios are considered to illustrate futuristic M2M applications. Finally, we present possible enabling technologies and point out the directions for M2M communications research.

M2M Communications in 3GPP LTE/LTE-A Networks: Architectures, Service Requirements, Challenges, and Applications

A system for managing a storage system comprises a processor and a memory. The processor is configured to receive storage system information from a deduplicating storage system. The processor is further configured to determine a capacity forecast based at least in part on the storage system information. The processor is further configured to provide a compression forecast. The memory is coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

Capacity forecasting for a deduplicating storage system

Millimeter wave (mmWave) bands have attracted considerable recent interest for next-generation cellular systems due to the massive available spectrum at these frequencies. However, a key challenge in designing mmWave cellular systems is initial access—the procedure by which a mobile device establishes an initial link-layer connection to a cell. MmWave communication relies on highly directional transmissions and the initial access procedure must thus provide a mechanism by which initial transmission directions can be searched in a potentially large angular space. Design options are compared considering different scanning and signaling procedures to evaluate access delay and system overhead. The channel structure and multiple access issues are also considered. The results of our analysis demonstrate significant benefits of low-resolution fully digital architectures in comparison with single stream analog beamforming.

Initial Access in Millimeter Wave Cellular Systems

Mobile wireless network has evolved from the first generation of analog communications to the fourth-generation evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN). E-UTRAN access technology is also referred to long-term evolution (LTE) with its spectral efficiency increased 150 times as compared to the first-generation analog access technology.

Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN)

Presented at the 6th USA/Europe Air Traffic Management Research and Development (ATM R&D) Seminar, 27-30 June 2005, in Baltimore, Maryland.

/pdf/analyzing-air-traffic-management-systems-using-agent-based-1leflbuhn7.pdf

Analyzing air traffic management systems using agent-based modeling and simulation

Agent-based simulation may provide an effective method of evaluating safety issues in air traffic control. For example, simulation of human performance models of controllers and pilots, interacting with aircraft avionics systems and with communication, navigation, and surveillance technologies, may assess both the individual behavior of these agents and the overall emergent behavior of the air traffic control system. This paper describes a collaborative effort in developing an agent-based simulation of air traffic control. In order to exercise the capabilities of the proposed approach, a test scenario was developed to investigate the impact of new avionics systems which provide alerts of clear air turbulence (CAT) to flight crews. An agent-based simulation using the Reconfigurable Flight Simulator (RFS) software architecture and its asynchronous timing methods is outlined. Adaptation of the Man-machine Integration Design and Analysis System (MIDAS) human performance model to model the behavior of pilots and air traffic controllers and to interact with RFS is detailed, including description of an algorithm implemented to synchronize the timing between RFS and MIDAS. This paper then discusses the use of agent-based simulation incorporating human performance models as a means to assess safety.

Examining air transportation safety issues through agent-based simulation incorporating human performance models

A methodology for automatic a priori data pattern analysis is provided. Described methods allow consistent and objective determination of outliers; trend; seasonality; and level shifts; and the production of better models and more accurate forecasts. In addition, a two-step way to automatically determine seasonality and locate possible events in the data set is described. Decomposition of data into seasonal, trend and level components; detection of outliers and level-shift events in the time series based on statistical analysis of the time series; detection of seasonality based on statistical analysis of clusters of data, known as cluster-based seasonality analysis, or CBSA; evaluation of the goodness of fit of a model to data, using the existing goodness of fit indicator, R2; and seasonality analysis, using a sequence of cluster-based seasonality analysis (CBSA) and Fourier analysis are described.

Computer storage capacity forecasting system using cluster-based seasonality analysis

Evaluation of data models and forecasts is provided, enabling processing of large numbers of forecast scenarios in a production environment. An approach for optimizing the computation for statistical modeling and forecasting is described. This approach includes calculating a recommended number of collected data points, calculating a cap on time to elapse, deciding based on at least one of the recommended number of collected data points and the cap on time to elapse whether to generate a forecast model and generating a forecast model from the collected data points.

Alexander Gilgur

Papers

Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN)

Analyzing air traffic management systems using agent-based modeling and simulation

Examining air transportation safety issues through agent-based simulation incorporating human performance models

Computer storage capacity forecasting system using cluster-based seasonality analysis

Lazy evaluation of bulk forecasts