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Multi-agent system

About: Multi-agent system is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 27978 publications have been published within this topic receiving 465191 citations. The topic is also known as: multi-agent systems & multiagent system.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A generic architecture that applies the multiagent systems methodology to the field of substation automation is defined, the design of a system to be implemented based on this architecture is described, and several possible applications are proposed.
Abstract: Agent technology is one of the most interesting developments in the field of distributed artificial intelligence. It has a wide range of applications, with information management, intelligent user interfaces, personal assistants, and Internet commerce among the most popular. This article defines a generic architecture that applies the multiagent systems methodology to the field of substation automation, describes the design of a system to be implemented based on this architecture, and proposes several possible applications. Compared with SCADA or client-server substation automation solutions, an agent-based system offers a number of advantages. Each function or task of the system, such as the management of a single IED, can be encapsulated within a separate agent, making the system highly modular. Agents are loosely coupled, typically communicating via messaging rather than by procedure calls (remote or local), and, using directory services, new functions can easily be added to an agent-based system by creating a new agent, which will then make its capabilities available to others. The inherently distributed power system architecture is suited ideally to a multiagent system, which provides greater autonomy to each of the constituent parts than a traditional system.

91 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work proposes a formal model for causal maps with a precise semantics based on relational algebra and investigates the issue of using this tool in multiagent environments by explaining through different examples how and why this tool is useful for the following aspects.
Abstract: Analytical techniques are generally inadequate for dealing with causal interrelationships among a set of individual and social concepts. Usually, causal maps are used to cope with this type of interrelationships. However, the classical view of causal maps is based on an intuitive view with ad hoc rules and no precise semantics of the primitive concepts, nor a sound formal treatment of relations between concepts. We solve this problem by proposing a formal model for causal maps with a precise semantics based on relational algebra and the software tool, CM-RELVIEW, in which it has been implemented. Then, we investigate the issue of using this tool in multiagent environments by explaining through different examples how and why this tool is useful for the following aspects: 1) the reasoning on agents' subjective views, 2) the qualitative distributed decision making, and 3) the organization of agents considered as a holistic approach. For each of these aspects, we focus on the computational mechanisms developed within CM-RELVIEW to support it.

91 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Feb 1999
TL;DR: Simulation experiments show that the prototype of negotiation behavior is able to manifest fundamental patterns and confirms the effectiveness of classical negotiation and mediation strategies, such as ambitious goals and aggressive concession matching tactics.
Abstract: A computational prototype of negotiation behavior is presented where the following occurs: (1) agents employ different concession matching tactics; (2) agents are unaware of opponent preferences; (3) agents incur a cost for delaying settlements; (4) agents vary in terms of goal difficulty and initial offer magnitude; and (5) demands and counter-offers are made and evaluated based on the opponent's degree of concession matching. This research explores the impact of the interaction of different agent behaviors on the negotiation process and the outcome of the negotiation. Simulation experiments show that the prototype is able to manifest fundamental patterns and confirms the effectiveness of classical negotiation and mediation strategies, such as ambitious goals and aggressive concession matching tactics. The model reveals some counterintuitive patterns that may shed a new perspective on the effects of time constraints and information availability.

91 citations

Book
15 Dec 2010
TL;DR: An interaction model inspired by the way masses and particles in the authors' universe move and self-organize according to contextual information represented by gravitational and electromagnetic fields is proposed that can serve as the basis for a general purpose and widely applicable approach for the design and development of adaptive distributed applications.
Abstract: More and more, software systems involve autonomous and distributed software components that have to execute and interact in open and dynamic environments, such as in pervasive, autonomous, and mobile applications. The requirements with respect to dynamics, openness, scalability, and decentralization call for new approaches to software design and development, capable of supporting spontaneous configuration, tolerating partial failures, or arranging adaptive reorganization of the whole system. Inspired by the behaviour of complex natural systems, scientists and engineers have started to adjust their mechanisms and techniques for self-organization and adaption to changing environments. In line with these considerations, Mamei and Zambonelli propose an interaction model inspired by the way masses and particles in our universe move and self-organize according to contextual information represented by gravitational and electromagnetic fields. The key idea is to have the components actions driven by computational force fields, generated by the components themselves or by some infrastructures, and propagated across the environment. Together with its supporting middleware infrastructure available with additional information under http://www.agentgroup.unimore.it this model can serve as the basis for a general purpose and widely applicable approach for the design and development of adaptive distributed applications.

91 citations

Book ChapterDOI
25 Jun 2001
TL;DR: This paper skips the topic of agent platforms and handles the agent structure briefly to introduce a key concept of the work: the graphical modelling of the behaviour of autonomous and adaptive agents in terms of Petri net protocols.
Abstract: This work proposes a way to model the structure and behaviour of agents in terms of executable coloured Petri net protocols. Structure and behaviour are not all aspects of agent based computing: agents need a world to live in (mostly divided into platforms), they need a general structure (e.g. including a standard interface for communication) and their own special behaviour. Our approach tackles all three parts in terms of Petri nets. This paper skips the topic of agent platforms and handles the agent structure briefly to introduce a key concept of our work: the graphical modelling of the behaviour of autonomous and adaptive agents. A special kind of coloured Petri nets is being used throughout the work: reference nets. Complex agent behaviour is achieved via dynamic composition of simpler sub-protocols, a task that reference nets are especially well suited for. The inherent concurrency of Petri nets is another point that makes it easy to model agents: multiple threads of control are (nearly) automatically implied in Petri nets.

91 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
2023536
20221,212
2021849
20201,098
20191,079
20181,105