Multi-agent Programming

by Bordini, Rafael H.; Dix, Jurgen; Dastani, Mehdi; Seghrouchni, Amal El Fallah

• ISBN13: 9780387245683
• ISBN10: 0387245685
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2005-07-01
• Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York Inc

Summary

Multi-Agent Programming is an essential reference for anyone interested in the most up-to-date developments in MAS programming. While previous research has focused on the development of formal and informal approaches to analyze and specify Multi-Agent Systems, this book focuses on the development of programming languages and tools which not only support MAS programming, but also implement key concepts of MAS in a unified framework. Part I describes approaches that rely on computational logic or process algebra a?? Jason, 3APL, IMPACT, and CLAIM/SyMPA. Part II presents languages and platforms that extend or are based on Java a?? JADE, Jadex and JACK TM . Part III provides two significant industry specific applications a?? The DEFACTO System for coordinating human-agent teams for disaster response, and the ARTIMIS rational dialogue agent technology. Also featured are seven appendices for quick reference and comparison.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	xi
Contributing Authors	xv
Preface	xxiii
Foreword	xxix
Acknowledgments	xxxii
Part I Logic- or Process Algebra-based Programming Languages
Jason and the Golden Fleece of Agent-Oriented Programming	3	(36)
Rafael H. Bordini
Jomi F. Hubner
Renata Vieira
Motivation	4	(4)
Language	8	(17)
Specifications and Syntactical Aspects	10	(3)
Semantics and Verification	13	(8)
Software Engineering Issues	21	(1)
Other Features of the Language	21	(4)
Platform	25	(12)
Main Features of the Jason Platform	25	(9)
Available Tools and Documentation	34	(1)
Standards Compliance, Interoperability, and Portability	35	(1)
Applications Supported by the Language and the Platform	36	(1)
Final Remarks	37	(2)
Acknowledgments	37	(2)
Programming Multi-Agent Systems in 3APL	39	(30)
Mehdi Dastani
M. Birna van Riemsdijk
John-Jules Ch. Meyer
Motivation	39	(2)
Language	41	(22)
Specifications and Syntactical Aspects	42	(12)
Semantics and Verification	54	(6)
Software Engineering Issues	60	(3)
Language integration	63	(1)
Platform	63	(3)
Available tools and documentation	63	(2)
Standards compliance, interoperability and portability	65	(1)
Applications	66	(1)
Final Remarks	66	(3)
Acknowledgments	67	(2)
Impact: A Multi-Agent Framework with Declarative Semantics	69	(26)
Jurgen Dix
Yingqian Zhang
Motivation	69	(3)
Language	72	(15)
Specifications and Syntactical Aspects	74	(4)
Semantics and Verification	78	(4)
Software Engineering Issues	82	(1)
Other features of the language	83	(4)
Platform	87	(6)
Features of the platform	87	(5)
Available tools and documentation	92	(1)
Standards compliance, interoperability and portability	92	(1)
Applications	93	(1)
Final Remarks	93	(2)
Acknowledgments	94	(1)
Claim and SyMPA: A Programming Environment for Intelligent and Mobile Agents	95	(30)
Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni
Alexandru Suna
Motivation	95	(2)
Language	97	(16)
Specifications and Syntactical Aspects	97	(5)
Semantics and Verification	102	(10)
Software Engineering Issues	112	(1)
Other features of the language	113	(1)
Platform	113	(4)
Available tools and documentation	113	(3)
Standards compliance, interoperability and portability	116	(1)
Other features of the platform	116	(1)
Applications	117	(5)
Final Remarks	122	(3)
Part II Java-Based Agent Programming Languages
JADE --- A Java Agent Development Framework	125	(24)
Fabio Bellifemine
Federico Bergenti
Giovanni Caire
Agostino Poggi
Motivation	126	(1)
Platform	126	(12)
Available tools and documentation	131	(2)
Standards compliance, interoperability and portability	133	(1)
Other features of the platform	133	(1)
Realizing multi-agent systems with the platform	134	(4)
Applications	138	(9)
CoMMA	138	(2)
Agentcities	140	(2)
RAP	142	(5)
Final Remarks	147	(2)
Acknowledgments	147	(2)
Jadex: A BDI Reasoning Engine	149	(26)
Alexander Pokahr
Lars Braubach
Winfried Lamersdorf
Motivation	149	(1)
Architecture	150	(6)
BDI Models and Systems	151	(1)
Concepts within Jadex	151	(3)
Execution Model	154	(2)
Language	156	(11)
Specifications and Syntactical Aspects	157	(4)
Software Engineering Issues	161	(1)
Example	162	(5)
Platform	167	(5)
Available tools and documentation	169	(1)
Standards compliance, interoperability and portability	170	(2)
Applications	172	(1)
Final Remarks	173	(2)
Acknowledgments	174	(1)
JACK™ Intelligent Agents: An Industrial Strength Platform	175	(22)
Michael Winikoff
Motivation	175	(3)
Language	178	(7)
Specifications and Syntactical Aspects	178	(4)
Semantics and Verification	182	(1)
Software Engineering Issues	183	(1)
Other features of the language	184	(1)
Platform	185	(5)
Available tools and documentation	186	(2)
Standards compliance, interoperability and portability	188	(1)
Other features of the platform	189	(1)
Applications	190	(2)
JACK: A Platform for Research	192	(1)
Final Remarks	192	(5)
Acknowledgments	193	(4)
Part III Industrial-Strength Applications
The DEFACTO System: Coordinating Human-Agent Teams for the Future of Disaster Response	197	(20)
N. Schurr
J. Marecki
J.P. Lewis
M. Tambe
P. Scerri
Introduction	198	(1)
Application Domain	199	(4)
Omni-Viewer	200	(3)
Proxy-based teamwork	203	(1)
Agents	203	(2)
Adjustable Autonomy	204	(1)
Multi-Agent System	205	(4)
Organisation	207	(1)
Interaction	208	(1)
MAS Environment	208	(1)
Experiments	209	(5)
Evaluation	209	(5)
Related Work and Summary	214	(3)
ARTIMIS Rational Dialogue Agent Technology: an overview	217	(28)
David Sadek
Introduction	217	(1)
Application domain	218	(2)
ARTIMIS as an autonomous agent	220	(14)
Formal rational interaction theory	220	(8)
ARTIMIS agent architecture and implementation	228	(6)
ARTIMIS agents in multi-agent systems	234	(3)
Cases of ARTIMIS-based applications	237	(6)
ARTIMIS as a natural human-computer dialogue agent	237	(4)
ARTIMIS as mediation agent	241	(2)
Conclusion	243	(2)
Summaries for Quick Reference and Comparison	245	(2)
Appendix A: Comparison Criteria	247	(3)
Appendix B: Jason Summary	250	(3)
Appendix C: 3APL Summary	253	(2)
Appendix D: IMPACT Summary	255	(2)
Appendix E: CLAIM Summary	257	(3)
Appendix F: JADE Summary	260	(3)
Appendix G: Jadex Summary	263	(3)
Appendix H: JACK Summary	266	(3)
References	269	(24)
Index	293