Smart Edges 65
3.7. Multi-agent systems
An agent is an autonomous entity, capable of communicating with
other agents, and of perceiving and representing its own environment.
A collection of these agents, interacting with one another, forms a
multi-agent system. We classify such systems according to numerous
criteria, such as the size of the agents, the number of them interacting,
the mechanisms and the types of communication, behavior,
organization and control of each agent, the representation of the
environment, etc.
Based on these criteria, we distinguish two main categories of
multi-agent systems:
– systems of cognitive agents;
– systems of reactive agents.
Cognitive agents have an explicit representation of the
environment and of the other agents. They are able to take account of
their past, and operate with a social means of organization. Systems
using this type of agent will have only a small number of agents.
Several levels of complexity can be envisaged:
– processes in which the actors implement communication
directives;
– communicative modules, which use specialized communication
protocols (requests, commands);
– cooperative agents, which work with the concepts of skill, mutual
representation and task allocation;
– intentional agents, which use notions of intention, commitment
and partial plans;
– negotiating agents, which carry out conflict-resolution by
negotiation;
– organized agents, which act in accordance with regulation and
social laws.
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