Introduction to Multiagent Systems (ISMA) [URV]

The main objective of this subject is to make an introduction to the basic concepts in the area of intelligent agents and multi-agent systems. A more specific set of objectives is the following:

• Know how to distinguish between agents and programs that apply Artificial Intelligence techniques.
• Learn the differences between reactive and deliverative systems, and know when to apply each of them.
• Understand the basic aspects concerning interface agents and information agents.
• Discover in which kind of problems it is appropriate to use multi-agent systems.
• Learn the basic aspects of a standard for agent communication: mult-agent system architecture, communication language, communication protocols.
• Understand the importance of ontologies in the communication within a multi-agent system.
• Learn cooperation mechanisms between the components of a multi-agent system.

1. Intelligent agents

• Agent characteristics
• Deliberative vs reactive agents

• Reactive agents
• Architectures of reactive systems
• Deliberative agents
• BDI architecture

• Types of agents

• Interface agents
• Information agents

2. Multi-Agent Systems

• Advantages of multi-agent systems
• Communication techniques

• Blackboard systems
• Message passing

• Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents

• Architecture of a multi-agent system
• Agent communication language
• Communication protocols

• Ontologies
• Cooperation among agents

• Partial global planning
• Negotiation