scholarly journals On the Testability of BDI Agent Systems

2014 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 71-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Winikoff ◽  
S. Cranefield
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Software System ◽  
Bdi Agents ◽  
Complex Behaviour ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Failure Handling ◽  
Bdi Agent

Before deploying a software system we need to assure ourselves (and stakeholders) that the system will behave correctly. This assurance is usually done by testing the system. However, it is intuitively obvious that adaptive systems, including agent-based systems, can exhibit complex behaviour, and are thus harder to test. In this paper we examine this "obvious intuition" in the case of Belief-Desire-Intention (BDI) agents. We analyse the size of the behaviour space of BDI agents and show that although the intuition is correct, the factors that influence the size are not what we expected them to be. Specifically, we found that the introduction of failure handling had a much larger effect on the size of the behaviour space than we expected. We also discuss the implications of these findings on the testability of BDI agents.

A New Way of Discovery of Belief, Desire and Intention in the BDI Agent-Based Software Modeling

2004 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-6
Author(s):  
Chang-Hyun Jo ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Software Process ◽  
Software System ◽  
Software Modeling ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Model ◽  
Programming Paradigm ◽  
Bdi Agent ◽  
Systematic Development ◽  
Software Construction

Agent-based programming has been emerged as a next generation programming paradigm. There are many different definitions and usage for agents. In our research, however, an agent is defined as an autonomous, concurrent and intelligent object. Furthermore, our agents are modeled by the belief-desire-intention (BDI) concept. An agent is embodied when it is assigned to its BDI. We call it a BDI agent. A software process defines a set of activities and associated artifacts that lead to the construction of a software system. We have developed a software process based on the BDI agent model that is useful for a systematic development of BDI agent-based software construction. We named our process as the BDI Agent-based Software Process (BDI ASP). This paper presents a new way of modeling technique in our BDI ASP. This work will convince us that the BDI ASP is very sound and practicable in agent software construction. We will provide a few examples as a case study with brief explanations of activities and artifacts in our process.

scholarly journals Agent-Based Computing and Programming of Agent Systems

2006 ◽  
pp. 23-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Luck ◽  
Peter McBurney ◽  
Jorge Gonzalez-Palacios
Keyword(s):  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems

scholarly journals Use of the Multi-Agent Paradigm in Sustainable Tourism

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Husáková
Keyword(s):  
Complex Systems ◽  
Sustainable Tourism ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Economic Prosperity ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
In Silico Models

Abstract Complex systems are characterised by a huge amount of components, which are highly linked with each other. Tourism is one of the examples of complex systems collecting various activities leading to the enrichment of travellers in the view of receiving new experiences and increasing economic prosperity of specific destinations. The complex systems can be investigated with various bottom-up and top-down approaches. The multi-agent-based modelling is the bottom-up approach that is focused on the representation of individual entities for the exploration of possible interactions among them and their effects on surrounding environments. These systems are able to integrate knowledge of socio-cultural, economic, physical, biological or environmental systems for in-silico models development, which can be used for experimentation with a system. The main aim of the presented text is to introduce links between tourism, complexity and to advocate usefulness of the multi-agent-based systems for the exploration of tourism and its sustainability. The evaluation of suitability of the multi-agent systems in tourism is based on the investigation of fundamental characteristics of these two systems and on the review of specific applications of the multi-agent systems in sustainable tourism.

scholarly journals Trust in multi-agent systems

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
SARVAPALI D. RAMCHURN ◽  
DONG HUYNH ◽  
NICHOLAS R. JENNINGS
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Comprehensive Treatment ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
The Core ◽  
Open Distributed Systems ◽  
Multi Agent

Trust is a fundamental concern in large-scale open distributed systems. It lies at the core of all interactions between the entities that have to operate in such uncertain and constantly changing environments. Given this complexity, these components, and the ensuing system, are increasingly being conceptualised, designed, and built using agent-based techniques and, to this end, this paper examines the specific role of trust in multi-agent systems. In particular, we survey the state of the art and provide an account of the main directions along which research efforts are being focused. In so doing, we critically evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of the main models that have been proposed and show how, fundamentally, they all seek to minimise the uncertainty in interactions. Finally, we outline the areas that require further research in order to develop a comprehensive treatment of trust in complex computational settings.

Enhancing Social Networks with Agent and Semantic Web Technologies

2012 ◽  
pp. 83-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Bergenti ◽  
Enrico Franchi ◽  
Agostino Poggi
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Semantic Web ◽  
Collaborative Work ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Semantic Web Technologies ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Web Technologies ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Relevant Work

In this chapter, the authors describe the relationships between multi-agent systems, social networks, and the Semantic Web within collaborative work; they also review how the integration of multi-agent systems and Semantic Web technologies and techniques can be used to enhance social networks at all scales. The chapter first provides a review of relevant work on the application of agent-based models and abstractions to the key ingredients of our work: collaborative systems, the Semantic Web, and social networks. Then, the chapter discusses the reasons current multi-agent systems and their foreseen evolution might be a fundamental means for the realization of the future Semantic Social Networks. Finally, some conclusions are drawn.

Agent-Based Software Engineering, Paradigm Shift, or Research Program Evolution

2018 ◽  
pp. 284-296
Author(s):  
Yves Wautelet ◽  
Christophe Schinckus ◽  
Manuel Kolp
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Context ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Flexible Systems ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Modeling Tools ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Multi Agent ◽  
Agent Orientation ◽  
Development Agendas

Information systems are deeply linked to human activities. Unfortunately, development methodologies have been traditionally inspired by programming concepts and not by organizational and human ones. This leads to ontological and semantic gaps between the systems and their environments. The adoption of agent orientation and multi-agent systems (MAS) helps to reduce these gaps by offering modeling tools based on organizational concepts (actors, agents, goals, objectives, responsibilities, social dependencies, etc.) as fundamentals to conceive systems through all the development process. Moreover, software development is becoming increasingly complex. Stakeholders' expectations are growing higher while the development agendas have to be as short as possible. Project managers, business analysts, and software developers need adequate processes and models to specify the organizational context, capture requirements, and build efficient and flexible systems.

Evolutionary Computation as a Paradigm for Engineering Emergent Behaviour in Multi-Agent Systems

2011 ◽  
pp. 118-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Smith ◽  
Claudio Bonacina
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Computation ◽  
Multi Agent System ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Agent System ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Emergent Behaviour ◽  
Shaping System ◽  
Multi Agent

In the multi-agent system (MAS) context, the theories and practices of evolutionary computation (EC) have new implications, particularly with regard to engineering and shaping system behaviors. Thus, it is important that we consider the embodiment of EC in “real” agents, that is, agents that involve the real restrictions of time and space within MASs. In this chapter, we address these issues in three ways. First, we relate the foundations of EC theory to MAS and consider how general interactions among agents fit within this theory. Second, we introduce a platform independent agent system to assure that our EC methods work within the generic, but realistic, constraints of agents. Finally, we introduce an agent-based system of EC objects. Concluding sections discuss implications and future directions.

Trust-Aware Recommender Systems for Open and Mobile Virtual Communities

2010 ◽  
pp. 326-345
Author(s):  
N. Sahli ◽  
G. Lenzini
Keyword(s):  
Recommender Systems ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Multi Agent Systems ◽  
Artificial Intelligent ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Agent Systems ◽  
Multi Agent

This chapter surveys and discusses relevant works in the intersection among trust, recommendations systems, virtual communities, and agent-based systems. The target of the chapter is showing how, thanks to the use of trust-based solutions and artificial intelligent solutions like that understanding agents-based systems, the traditional recommender systems can improve the quality of their predictions. Moreover, when implemented as open multi-agent systems, trust-based recommender systems can efficiently support users of mobile virtual communities in searching for places, information, and items of interest.

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