Design for Optimized Multi-Lateral Multi-Commodity Markets

In this paper, we propose a design for an an economically efficient, optimized, centralized, multi-lateral, periodic commodity market that addresses explicitly three issues: (i) substantial transportation costs between sellers and buyers; (ii) non homogeneous, in quality and nature, commodities; (iii) complementary commodities that have to be traded simultaneously. The model allows sellers to offer their commodities in lots and buyers to explicitly quantify the differences in quality of the goods produced by each individual seller. The model does not presume that products must be shipped through a market hub. We also propose a multi-round auction that enables the implementation of the direct optimized market and approximates the behaviour of the "ideal" direct optimized mechanism. The process allows buyers and sellers to modify their initial bids, including the technological constraints. The proposed market designs are particularly relevant for industries related to natural resources. We present the models and algorithms required to implement the optimized market mechanisms, describe the operations of the multi-round auction, and discuss applications and perspectives. Nous présentons un concept de marché optimisé, centralisé, multilatéral et périodique pour l'acquisition de produits qui traite explicitement les trois aspects suivants: (i) des coûts de transport importants des vendeurs vers les acheteurs; (ii) des produits non homogènes en valeur et qualité; des complémentarités entre les divers produits qui doivent donc être négociés simultanément. Le modèle permet aux vendeurs d'offrir leurs produits groupés en lots et aux acheteurs de quantifier explicitement leur évaluation des lots mis sur le marché par chaque vendeur. Le modèle ne suppose pas que les produits doivent être expédiés par un centre avant d'être livrés. Nous proposons également un mécanisme de tâtonnement à rondes multiples qui approxime le comportement du marché direct optimisé et qui permet de mettre ce dernier en oeuvre. Le processus de tâtonnement permet aux vendeurs et aux acheteurs de modifier leurs mises initiales, incluant les contraintes technologiques. Les concepts proposés sont particulièrement adaptés aux industries reliées aux matières premières. Nous présentons les modèles et algorithmes requis à la mise en oeuvre du marché multi-latéral optimisé, nous décrivons le fonctionnement du processus de tâtonnement, et nous discutons les applications et perspectives reliées à ces mécanismes de marché.Market design, optimized multi-lateral multi-commodity markets, multi-round auctions, Design de marché, marché multi-latéraux optimisés, processus de tâtonnement

Agent-Based Distributed Resource Allocation in Continuous Dynamic Systems

Intelligent agents and multiagent systems reveal new strategies to design highly flexible automation systems. There are first promising industrial applications of multiagent systems for the control of manufacturing, logistics, traffic or multi-robot systems. One reason for the success of most of these applications is their nature as some form of a distributed resource allocation problem which can be addressed very well by multiagent systems. Resource allocation problems solved by agents can be further categorized into static or dynamic problems. In static problems, the allocations do not depend on time and many resource allocation problem of practical interest can be solved using these static considerations, even in discrete-event systems like manufacturing or logistic systems. However, problems especially in highly dynamic environments cannot be addressed by this pure static approach since the allocations, i.e. the decision variables, depend on time and previous states of the considered system. These problems are hardly considered in the relevant agent literature and if, most often only discrete-event systems are considered. This work focuses on agent-based distributed dynamic resource allocation problems especially in continuous production systems or other continuous systems. Based on the current states of the distributed dynamic system, continuous-time allocation trajectories must be computed in real-time. Designing multiagent systems for distributed resource allocation mainly comprises the design of the local capabilities of the single agents and the interaction mechanisms that makes them find the best or at least a feasible allocation without any central control. In this work, the agents are designed as two-level entities: while the low-level functions are responsible for the real-time allocation of the resources in the form of closed-loop feedback control, the high-level functionalities realize the deliberative capabilities such as long-term planning and negotiation of the resource allocations. Herein, the resource allocation problem is considered as a distributed optimization problem under certain constraints. The agents play the role of local optimizers which then have to coordinate their local solutions to an overall consistent solution. It is shown in this contribution that the described approach can be interpreted as a market-based allocation scheme based on balancing of supply and demand of the resources using a virtual price. However, the agents calculate and negotiate complete supply and demand trajectories using model-based predictions which also leads to the calculation of a price trajectory. This novel approach does not only consider the dynamic behaviour of the distributed system but also combines control tasks and resource allocation in a very consistent way. The approach is demonstrated using two practical applications: a heating system and an industrial sugar extraction process

Venezuelan Economic Laboratory. The Case of the Altruistic Economy of Felipe Pérez Martí

Felipe Pérez Martí, who was the Venezuelan Minister of Planning and Development in the government of Hugo Chávez, proposes an economic model that he calls the altruistic economy or fourth way, which leads cooperative game theory to its logical extremes postulating a pure communism. Here we sustain that, first, it is impossible in the model of Pérez Martí to marginally allocate non-primary goods to those most in need or who most value them, facing a problem of defective economic calculation, and second, in order to achieve equality, he would have to replace his atomic local planners by a central planner, who would be unable to overcome the problem of imperfect and and incomplete information.altruism, Nash equilibrium, game theory, planning, communism, equality

Preliminary specification and design documentation for software components to achieve catallaxy in computational systems

This Report is about the preliminary specifications and design documentation for software components to achieve Catallaxy in computational systems. -- Die Arbeit beschreibt die Spezifikation und das Design von Softwarekomponenten, um das Konzept der Katallaxie in Grid Systemen umzusetzen. Eine Einführung ordnet das Konzept der Katallaxie in bestehende Grid Taxonomien ein und stellt grundlegende Komponenten vor. Anschließend werden diese Komponenten auf ihre Anwendbarkeit in bestehenden Application Layer Netzwerken untersucht.Grid Computing