Agent Technology from a Formal Perspective

ISBN-13: 9781849969697 / Angielski / Miękka / 2010 / 354 str.

Christopher Rouff

Opis

During the last several years, the ?eld of agent and multi-agent s- tems has experienced tremendous growth, i.e., the topic has gained - precedented popularity. Meanwhile, the ?eld of formal methods has also blossomed and has proven its importance in substantial industrial and government applications. Thus, in 2000 it was quite timely to pursue a workshop to merge the concerns of the two ?elds. The need for such a workshop was particularly compelling given the growing concerns of agent-basedsystemsusersthattheirsystemsshouldbeaccompaniedby behavioral assurances. The Formal Approaches toAgent-Based Systems (FAABS'00) workshop was the ?rst step in trying to address this need. The overwhelming response to FAABS'00 motivated subsequent FAABS ('02and'04)workshops, aswellasthisbook, whichisdesignedtoprovide amorein-depthtreatmentofthetopic. This book is organized into four parts. Part I provides introductory backgroundmaterialonthetwocentraltopicsofthebook, namely, agents andformalmethods. Chapter1, byTruszkowski, isanoverviewofagents.Thechapter- gins by introducing the basic concept of an agent from a very simple, abstractperspective.Itthengraduallyre?nesthisnotionintoadetailed agent architecture, using the Goddard agent architecture as an ex- ple model. First, the major architectural components (e.g., percepts, - fectors, communications, reasoning, planning, execution)arede?nedand described. Then, agent behaviors are de?ned and related to the arc- tecturalcomponentsthatgeneratethem.Thechapterconcludeswithan intriguingdiscussionofmulti-agentcommunities.

Spis treści

What Is an Agent? And What Is an Agent Community?.- to Formal Methods.- Formal Methods and Agent-Based Systems.- A Process-Algebraic Agent Abstraction.- Dynamic Team Formation in Executable Agent-Based Systems.- Scenario-Based Engineering of Multi-Agent Systems.- Verification Within the KARO Agent Theory.- Assuring the Behavior of Adaptive Agents.- Agents in a Wild World.- Formal Methods at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.- Formal Verification of Autonomy Models.

Blurb

The field of agent & multi-agent systems is experiencing tremendous growth. At the same time the field of formal methods is blossoming and has proven its importance in industrial and government applications. The FAABS (Formal Approaches to Agent-Based Systems) workshops, merging the concerns of the two fields, provided a timely and compelling platform on which the growing concerns and requirement of agent-based systems users that systems should be accompanied by behavioral assurances, could be discussed. This book has arisen from the overwhelming response to FAABS ’00, ’02 & ’04 and all chapters are updated or represent new research, and are designed to provide a more in-depth treatment of the topic. Examples of how others have applied formal methods to agent-based systems are included, plus formal method tools & techniques that readers can apply to their own systems.

Agent Technology from a Formal Perspective provides an invaluable in-depth view of the key issues related to agent technology from a formal perspective, for both researchers and practitioners. This is a relatively new interdisciplinary field, and there is enormous room for further growth The book not only creates an initial foundation, but points to the gaps; indicating open problems to be addressed by future researchers, students & practitioners.