Applications and environments for multi-agent systems

This paper addresses multi agent system (MAS) environments from an application perspective. It presents a structured view on environment-centric MAS applications. This comprises three base configurations which MAS applications may apply directly or combine into a composite configuration. For each configuration the paper presents key issues requirements and opportunities (e.g. time management issues real-world augmentation opportunities and state snapshot requirements). Thus the paper delineates what environment technology may implement to serve MAS applications. Sample applications illustrate the configurations. Next electronic institutions provide an example of an environment technology addressing norms and laws in an agent society already achieving some maturity. In comparison application-domain specific environment technologies still are in embryonic stages. © Springer Science+Business Media LLC 2006.This paper presents work funded by the Research Fund of the K.U.Leuven (Concerted Research Action on Autonomic Computing for Distributed Production Systems), and the projects Web-i(2) and OpenKnowledge.Peer Reviewe

Applications and environments for multi-agent systems

This paper addresses multi agent system (MAS) environments from an application perspective. It presents a structured view on environment-centric MAS applications. This comprises three base configurations which MAS applications may apply directly or combine into a composite configuration. For each configuration the paper presents key issues requirements and opportunities (e.g. time management issues real-world augmentation opportunities and state snapshot requirements). Thus the paper delineates what environment technology may implement to serve MAS applications. Sample applications illustrate the configurations. Next electronic institutions provide an example of an environment technology addressing norms and laws in an agent society already achieving some maturity. In comparison application-domain specific environment technologies still are in embryonic stages. © Springer Science+Business Media LLC 2006.status: publishe