基于Agent图的三级多Agent系统组织模型

多Agent系统的组织结构是Agent个体之间交互的框架。对分布式多Agent系统的组织方式、协作机制进行了简要讨论,提出了Agent域及Agent图的概念。根据不同Agent之间的地理位置和通信代价,由Agent个体、Agent组及Agent域三级组织结构形成一个Agent图,并借鉴计算机网络的分布式自适应路由选择策略进行多Agent系统的协作组织。分析表明,该模型具有高效、健壮、通信开销较小等优点。     

一种基于证据理论的概念树结构多Agent合作求解模型

本文针对多Agent系统中Agent之间的盲目交互可能产生的效率低下问题,提出了一种基于慨念树结构的多Agent合作求解模型.在这个模型中,各Agent基于自己的领域知识构造出概念树,通过Agent之间的合作,对概念树从根节点开始使用证据理论实现逐层聚焦,逐步缩小求解范围.为此,本文基于模态、逻辑和关系概念提出了一种面向可能解集的证据理论表示,并探讨了在多Agent环境下应用证据理论可能导致的若干问题.     

基于论辩的Agent非单调推理

现有的Agent信念修正、慎思、手段-目的推理等理论和方法大多基于经典一阶逻辑,对不完全的、不一致的知识,缺乏有效的处理机制.基于论辩的Agent非单调推理(包括认识推理和实践推理)理论和方法有望弥补这个不足.不过,作为一个新的研究方向,其基本概念、理论、方法及存在的关键性问题尚有待于澄清和梳理.文中首先介绍论辩的基本概念.在此基础上,分析基于论辩的Agent非单调推理的最新研究进展.最后,讨论存在的关键性问题并指出可能的研究方向.     

基于组织的面向Agent 程序设计及其语言Oragent

当前,面向Agent程序设计在支持动态开放多Agent系统开发方面存在一系列的不足,如缺乏高层抽象、底层实现模型与高层设计模型相脱节、在支持系统动态性方面缺乏有效的运行机制和语言设施等.针对这些问题,提出一种基于组织的面向Agent程序设计方法.该方法将组织、Group、角色和Agent等高层抽象作为一阶实体,缩小了多Agent系统的设计模型与实现模型之间的概念鸿沟;借助于组织学中的机制——角色扮演机制、基于角色的交互——支持系统动态性的规约和实现,如Agent行为的动态组合、动态的交互等,基于该程序设计思想,设计了基于组织的面向Agent程序设计语言——Oragent,定义了其抽象语法和形式语义,并通过案例分析说明了如何基于该程序设计思想和Oragent语言来构造和实现动态而灵活的多Agent系统.     

Agent组织研究进展

Agent理论和技术的研究自20世纪70年代末出现以来发展很快,研究工作从个体Agent模型和思维状态理论扩展到群体Agent合作求解,取得了一系列进展.近年来,Agent组织的研究越来越引起重视,作为多Agent系统(MAS)的一种求解结构,基于Agent组织的问题求解可以有效地降低求解难度和Agent之间的交互复杂性.综述了Agent组织近年的研究进展,介绍了Agent组织模型、MAS思维状态模型、规范化MAS和Agent联盟等方面的研究成果,并指出了今后的研究方向.     

基于角色的MAS社会性研究

多Agent系统中社会性的研究需要适当的描述工具和抽象粒度,论文提出将角色概念作为理解个体行为和整体行为之间关系的中介,给出角色精神状态的形式化描述,简单勾勒了角色之间的交互模式,并初步探讨了角色与Agent之间的相互影响。     

多Agent系统中消息通信模型的研究与设计

在多Agent系统当中,Agent之间可以通过消息通信的方式来相互协作共同完成一个目标任务.通过对多Agent系统中消息通信机制的探索和研究,在此给出了Agent域的概念,并在Agent域的基础之上,设计了不同的消息通信模型.     

一种基于BDI Agent的复杂系统设计建模方法

提出一种通过信念一愿望一意图(BDI)结构实现多Agent系统设计建模的方法．多Agent系统设计建模的目的是具体地模型化多Agent组织中承担不同组织职能的每一类Agent的结构，使其易于在现有的程序设计语言环境中实现，在该方法中，多Agent系统的设计建模需要建立三个模型：Agent模型、相互作用模型和相识者模型．Agent模型由信念、目标、计划三个基本子模型构成，这些子模型是根据分析阶段所获得的职能模型、协同工作过程模型以及领域本体来建立的，MAS系统中的每一Agent都是Agent模型中某一类Agent的一个实例．相互作用模型主要说明Agent之间的交互细节，如交互协议、交互语言、交互约束条件等．相识者模型说明每一类Agent的所有相识者及其属性，目前通过这一建模方法已在多智能体协同工作平台(MBOS)上开发出实际的应用系统“多智能体物资调配决策支持系统MAEDSS”。     

多Agent系统中信任的动态性处理

信任是多Agent系统中进行决策和交互的重要内容。收集必要的信息确定信任关系，动态地管理、维护信任关系，以及监控和重估已有的信任关系是多Agent系统中信任管理的关键问题。虽然研究者对上述关键问题提出了一系列解决方案，但依然存在一些问题有待进一步解决。本文针对信任的动态性处理这一问题，在分析现有的典型信任模型基础之上，提出一个具有动态性的Confidence-Reputation信任模型。模型中，我们不仅考虑了Agent的直接交互历史(Confidence)和信誉(Reputation)，同时也考虑了信任的本体性。     

面向涌现的多Agent系统研究及其进展

在多Agent系统研究领域,涌现现象越来越引起人们的注意.面向涌现的多Agent系统研究正成为多Agent系统研究中值得注意的一个新方向.它关注的是多Agent系统宏观层面的涌现性问题以及系统涌现的宏观与微观层面的联系机制,并最终希望发展出一套面向涌现的多Agent系统的设计和控制方法.该文在介绍涌现的概念和特征之后,考察了多Agent系统宏观特征的面向涌现描述方法;然后对多Agent系统涌现的微-宏观机制进行了总结,比较分析了面向涌现的多Agent系统设计方法和设计模式;最后分析讨论了该领域研究存在的问题和进一步的研究方向.     

ANGLE: An autonomous, normative and guidable agent with changing knowledge

Some emerging computing systems (especially autonomic computing systems) raise several challenges to autonomous agents, including (1) how to reflect the dynamics of business requirements, (2) how to coordinate with external agents with sufficient level of security and predictability, and (3) how to perform reasoning with dynamic and incomplete knowledge, including both informational knowledge (observations) and motivational knowledge (for example, policy rules and contract rules). On the basis of defeasible logic and argumentation, this paper proposes an autonomous, normative and guidable agent model, called ANGLE, to cope with these challenges. This agent is established by combining beliefs-desires-intentions (BDI) architecture with policy-based method and the mechanism of contract-based coordination. Its architecture, knowledge representation, as well as reasoning and decision-making, are presented in this paper. ANGLE is characteristic of the following three aspects. First, both its motivational knowledge and informational knowledge are changeable, and allowed to be incomplete, inconsistent/conflicting. Second, its knowledge is represented in terms of extended defeasible logic with modal operators. Different from the existing defeasible theories, its theories (including belief theory, goal theory and intention theory) are dynamic (called dynamic theories), reflecting the variations of observations and external motivational knowledge. Third, its reasoning and decision-making are based on argumentation. Due to the dynamics of underlying theories, argument construction is not a monotonic process, which is different from the existing argumentation framework where arguments are constructed incrementally.     

Dynamics of argumentation systems: A division-based method

The changing of arguments and their attack relation is an intrinsic property of a variety of argumentation systems. So, it is very important to efficiently figure out how the status of arguments in a system evolves when the system is updated. However, unlike other areas of argumentation that have been deeply explored, such as argumentation semantics, proof theories, and algorithms, etc., dynamics of argumentation systems has been comparatively neglected. In this paper, we formulate a general theory (called a division-based method) to cope with this problem based on a new concept: the division of an argumentation framework. When an argumentation framework is updated, it is divided into three parts: an unaffected, an affected, and a conditioning part. The status of arguments in the unaffected sub-framework remains unchanged, while the status of the affected arguments is computed in a special argumentation framework (called a conditioned argumentation framework, or briefly CAF) that is composed of an affected part and a conditioning part. We have proved that under a certain semantics that satisfies the directionality criterion (complete, preferred, ideal, or grounded semantics), the extensions of the updated framework are equal to the result of a combination of the extensions of an unaffected sub-framework and sets of the extensions of a set of assigned CAFs. Due to the efficiency of the division-based method, it is expected to be very useful in various kinds of argumentation systems where arguments and attacks are dynamics.     

Compositional Verification of a Multi-Agent System for One-to-Many Negotiation

Verification of multi-agent systems hardly occurs in design practice. One of the difficulties is that required properties for a multi-agent system usually refer to multi-agent behaviour which has nontrivial dynamics. To constrain these multi-agent behavioural dynamics, often a form of organisational structure is used, for example, for negotiating agents, by following strict protocols. The claim is that these negotiation protocols entail a structured process that is manageable with respect to analysis, design and execution of such a multi-agent system. In this paper this is shown by a case study: verification of a multi-agent system for one-to-many negotiation in the domain of load balancing of electricity use. A compositional verification method for multi-agent systems is applied that allows to (1) logically relate dynamic properties of the multi-agent system as a whole to dynamic properties of agents, and (2) logically relate dynamic properties of agents to properties of their subcomponents. Given that properties of these subcomponents can be verified by more standard methods, these logical relationships provide proofs of the dynamic properties of the multi-agent system as a whole.     

Erratum to: New efficient method for dynamic modeling and simulation of flexible multibody systems moving in plane

Efficient, precise dynamic analysis for general flexible multibody systems has become a research focus in the field of flexible multibody dynamics. In this paper, the finite element method and component mode synthesis are introduced to describe the deformations of the flexible components, and the dynamic equations of flexible bodies moving in plane are deduced. By combining the discrete time transfer matrix method of multibody system with these dynamic equations of flexible component, the transfer equations and transfer matrices of flexible bodies moving in plane are developed. Finally, a high-efficient dynamic modeling method and its algorithm are presented for high-speed computation of general flexible multibody dynamics. Compared with the ordinary dynamics methods, the proposed method combines the strengths of the transfer matrix method and finite element method. It does not need the global dynamic equations of system and has the low order of system matrix and high computational efficiency. This method can be applied to solve the dynamics problems of flexible multibody systems containing irregularly shaped flexible components. It has advantages for dynamic design of complex flexible multibody systems. Formulations as well as a numerical example of a multi-rigid-flexible-body system containing irregularly shaped flexible components are given to validate the method.     

STORY GENERATION BASED ON DYNAMICS OF THE MIND

A story generation system based on dynamics of the mind is presented. Semantic theories until now avoided discussing a linkage of language with encyclopedic human knowledge. This paper attacks the problem of how to make clear the complicated, wide-ranging dynamics of the mind and how to connect it to language.
First, the background of this study is shown, in which our model of the mind, with both five levels along the concept formation process and eight domains according to the contents of mental activities, is surveyed.
Based on this model, then, the dynamics of mind are discussed, along an Aesop fable. A unit of data processing in the mind is called a "module," and the mental dynamics are considered as a chain activation of those modules, represented by a dynamic network. Next, a method for story generation is discussed. Propositional information of a sentence is embedded in a slot of activated, frame-structured modules, and the discourse structure of a generated story basically depends on the dynamic network. Both the chain activation and the generation processes are verified by experiments.
Lastly, residual problems of our research, a comparison with related research, and its applications are discussed.
This case study would be expected to give a basis to integrated systems for problem solving, natural language and image understandings, their generations, and intelligent robots.     

New system theory and its impact on control theory

Real systems can include two types of state variables – dynamic and static. While dynamic state variables are a common part of each system, static variables are not and their presence in a system may cause some problems if standard system theories are used. In this paper, it is shown that, due to a new system theory (NST), it is possible to work correctly with systems and subsystems which include not only dynamic state variables, but also static state variables. If standard system theories are used, static variables in the real system cause not only problems in describing systems but also some challenges in control theory. These challenges involve, for example, some questions of controllability, reachability, or observability of a plant that includes static variables or the optimal control design of a plant that includes statical state variables. Some of the challenges mentioned are addressed in this paper after a brief introduction of the NST.     

New efficient method for dynamic modeling and simulation of flexible multibody systems moving in plane

Efficient, precise dynamic analysis for general flexible multibody systems has become a research focus in the field of flexible multibody dynamics. In this paper, the finite element method and component mode synthesis are introduced to describe the deformations of the flexible components, and the dynamic equations of flexible bodies moving in plane are deduced. By combining the discrete time transfer matrix method of multibody system with these dynamic equations of flexible component, the transfer equations and transfer matrices of flexible bodies moving in plane are developed. Finally, a high-efficient dynamic modeling method and its algorithm are presented for high-speed computation of general flexible multibody dynamics. Compared with the ordinary dynamics methods, the proposed method combines the strengths of the transfer matrix method and finite element method. It does not need the global dynamic equations of system and has the low order of system matrix and high computational efficiency. This method can be applied to solve the dynamics problems of flexible multibody systems containing irregularly shaped flexible components. It has advantages for dynamic design of complex flexible multibody systems. Formulations as well as a numerical example of a multi-rigid-flexible-body system containing irregularly shaped flexible components are given to validate the method.     

Distributed containment control of multi‐agent systems with general linear dynamics in the presence of multiple leaders

This paper considers the containment control problems for both continuous‐time and discrete‐time multi‐agent systems with general linear dynamics under directed communication topologies. Distributed dynamic containment controllers based on the relative outputs of neighboring agents are constructed for both continuous‐time and discrete‐time cases, under which the states of the followers will asymptotically converge to the convex hull formed by those of the leaders if, for each follower, there exists at least one leader that has a directed path to that follower. Sufficient conditions on the existence of these dynamic controllers are given. Static containment controllers relying on the relative states of neighboring agents are also discussed as special cases. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

一种新的基于复合弹簧网络的多Agent系统分布式问题求解方法

当多Agent系统（MAS）中Agent之间存在多种复杂的随机的社会交互行为时，当各Agent表现出不同程度的自治性和理性时，难以用现有的方法描述和求解MAS问题，即使对仅仅存在竞争和合作这两种社会交互行为，并且不考虑Agent之间自治程度的本质性差异时，现有的基于结盟的MAS问题求解算法也具有极高的计算复杂性，该文提出一种新的复合弹簧网络模型和方法，利用分布式弹性动力学方程，将MAS分布式问题求解过程转变对应的复合弹簧网络形变过程，这种模型和方法能够处理各种社会交互行为以及Agent不同程度的自治性，分析和仿真实验表明，在计算复杂性和适用性等许多方面，该文的分布并行算法优于文献[7,8]的Shehory-Kraus算法。