A Formal Framework for Interactive Agents

AbstractThis paper proposes a formal framework and architecture for specification and analysis of interactive agents. The framework can be used to explore the design space, study features of different points in the design space, and to develop executable specifications of specific agents and study their interactions with the environment. A long term goal is development of reasoning principles specialized to different regions of the design space

Differing instructional needs for children of similar reading achievement grades two, four, and six

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Integrated analysis of breast cancer cell lines reveals unique signaling pathways

Mapping of sub-networks in the EGFR-MAPK pathway in different breast cancer cell lines reveals that PAK1 may be a marker for sensitivity to MEK inhibitors

Specification and Analysis of the AER/NCA Active Network Protocol Suite in Real-Time Maude

This paper describes the application of the Real-Time Maude tool and the Maude formal methodology to the specification and analysis of the AER/NCA suite of active network multicast protocol components. Because of the time-sensitive and resource-sensitive behavior, the presence of probabilistic algorithms, and the composability of its components, AER/NCA poses challenging new problems for its formal specification and analysis. Real-Time Maude is a natural extension of the Maude rewriting logic language and tool for the specification and analysis of real-time object-based distributed systems. It supports a wide spectrum of formal methods, including: executable specification; symbolic simulation; breadth-first search for failures of safety properties in infinite-state systems; and linear temporal logic model checking of time-bounded temporal logic formulas. These methods complement those offered by network simulators on the one hand, and timed-automaton-based tools and general-purpose theorem provers on the other. Our experience shows that Real-Time Maude is well-suited to meet the AER/NCA modeling challenges, and that its methods have proved effective in uncovering subtle and important errors in the informal use case specification

Policy-based Coordination in PAGODA:

PAGODA (Policy And GOal Based Distributed Autonomy) is a modular architecture for specifying and prototyping autonomous systems. A PAGODA node (agent) interacts with its environment by sensing and affecting, driven by goals to achieve and constrained by policies. A PAGODA system is a collection of PAGODA nodes cooperating to achieve some mutual goal. This paper describes a specification of PAGODA using the Russian Dolls model of policy-based coordination. In PAGODA there are two forms of coordination: local and global. Local coordination is used to compose the components of a PAGODA node. The local coordinator is concerned with ensuring component level synchronization constraints, cross component message ordering constraints, routing of notifications, and interaction with the external world. The global coordinator is concerned with dissemination of information, negotiation of responsibilities, and synchronization of activities. Requirements for a PAGODA node coordinator are given and an example set of policies is specified. Principles for showing that the policies satisfy the requirements are discussed as a first step toward a logic of policy-based coordination. Development of a distributed coordinator is the subject of ongoing work. Some challenges and possible solutions are discussed