自组织分治求解分布式约束优化问题

分布式约束优化问题(DCOP)是在大规模、开放、动态网络环境中的优化问题,在计算网格、多媒体网络、电子商务、企业资源规划等领域中都有广泛应用.除了具有传统优化问题的非线性、约束性等特点,DCOP还具有动态演化、信息区域化、控制局部化、网络状态异步更新等特点.寻求一种解决DCOP的大规模、并行、具有智能特征的求解方法已成为一个具有挑战性的研究课题.目前已提出多种求解DCOP的算法,但大多不是完全分散的算法,存在集中环节,需要网络的全局结构作为输入,不适合处理由规模巨大、地理分布、控制分散等因素导致的全局结构难以获取的分布式网络.针对该问题,提出一个基于自组织行为的分治策略求解DCOP.在不具有全局网络知识的情况下,分布在网络中的多个自治Agent基于局部感知信息、采用自组织的方式协作求解.与已有算法相比,它是一个完全分散式算法,并在求解效率和求解质量方面都展现出很好的性能.     

DCSP和DCOP求解研究进展

分布式约束满足问题（DCSP）和分布式约束最优问题（DCOP）的研究是分布式人工智能领域的基础性工作。本文首先介绍了卿和DCOP的形式化描述及对实际应用问题的建模方法。在DCSP和DCOP的求解中，通常对问题要进行限制和要求，同时要满足分布性、异步性、局部性、完备性的原则。异步回溯（ABT）、异步弱承诺搜索（AWC）和分布式逃逸（DB）算法是求解DCSP的有代表性的算法；DCSP算法对DCOP求解产生了影响，但由DCSP一般化到DCOP的算法，仅适用于解决部分特定的问题，DCOP的最优、异步算法有异步分布式约束最优算法（A—dopt）和最优异步部分交叉算法（OptAPO）。本文讨论了上述算法的性能。相关的研究工作在多局部变量的处理、超约束DCSP、算法性能度量、通信的保密等方面进行了扩充，在对问题本身的研究、建模方法学、算法、与其他方法的结合以及拓展应用领域等方面仍有许多问题需要进一步研究。     

基于合作仲裁求解分布式约束优化问题的研究

MAS中许多分布式推理问题都可以建模为分布式约束优化问题(DCOP).在这里,我们把分布式会议调度DMS(Dis-tributed Meeting Scheduling)问题映射为DCOP,基于合作仲裁进行求解,并把结果与另一个DCOP算法比较.考虑到完全解决方案的时间复杂性,我们把局部约束图转换为伪树,加速了搜索速度,从而在较短的时间找到最优解决方案.     

一种动态分布式约束优化问题协同求解算法

多Agent协作过程中的许多问题都可在分布式约束优化问题(DCOP)框架下建模,但多局限于规划问题,且一般需Agent具有完全、准确收益函数.针对DCOP局限性,定义动态分布式约束优化问题(DDCOP),分析求解它的两个关键操作:Exploration和Exploitation,提出基于混沌蚂蚁的DDCOP协同求解算法(CA-DDCOP).该算法借鉴单只蚂蚁的混沌行为和蚁群的自组织行为,实现Exploration和Exploitation,根据玻尔兹曼分布,建立平衡Exploration和Exploitation的协同方法.通过多射频多信道无线AdHoc网络的信道分配验证该算法的有效性.     

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。     

低约束密度分布式约束优化问题的求解算法

多Agent协作过程中的许多挑战都可以建模为分布式约束优化问题.针对低约束密度的分布式约束优化问题,提出了一种基于贪婪和回跳思想的求解算法.在该算法中,各Agent基于贪婪原则进行决策,能够利用低约束密度问题中大量赋值组合代价为0这一特点来加快求解速度.同时,Agent间的回跳机制可以在贪婪原则陷入局部最优时保证算法的完全性.相对于已有主流算法,该算法可以在保持多项式级别的消息长度/空间复杂度的前提下,以较少的消息数目求解低约束密度的分布式约束优化问题.给出了算法关键机制的正确性证明,并通过实验验证了算法的上述性能优势.     

多Agent系统分布式问题求解的代数模型方法(Ⅱ): 群体智能和社会动力学

该文是组合论文中第二篇，讨论多Agent系统分布式问题求解的代数模型中的特性层和动力学层，即没粒度Agent群体的宏观群体智能的形式优化代数模型以及宏观社会智能与Agent个体间微观社会行为之间的社会动力学模型，提出了基于这种新的代数模型方法的超分布超并行社会智能问题求解算法，关于分布式多任务自组织规划和资源自组织分配的仿真实验以及与其它方法的比较分析，表明了该文提出了代数模型和问题求解方法的特点和有效性。     

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.     

MAS系统的问题求解能力分析

本文用状态空间搜索模型分析了多Agent系统(MAS)的问题求解能力，认为MAS系统中Agent之间知识的组合应用和对问题搜索方向的交互和决策是影响MAS系统问题求解能力的主要原因，在状态空间搜索模型下可以将Agent间知识的组合应用表达为不同Agent的搜索路径的组合，而Agent对搜索方向的判断是基于启发式信息做出的，从而为形式化分析MAS系统的性能建立了通用的模型．本文以A*算法为例探讨了可采纳算法下多Agent合作求解效果与Agent的知识和启发信息之间的关系，指出只有在一定条件下MAS系统才会获得更好的解题能力．本文还对非可采纳算法下MAS系统性能分析方法提出了初步看法．     

Agent组织的一种递归模型

Agent组织是多Agent系统(MAS)的一种求解形式.基于Agent组织的问题求解可以减少MAS中Agent之间交互的复杂性,降低求解难度.结合收益和组织规则提出了一种Agent组织的递归模型,并讨论了Agent组织的目标分解、收益计算和组织规则形成等问题.相对于Ferber和Jennings等人的工作,这种模型适于描述不同规模的组织,有利于MAS宏观分析和微观分析的结合,而且模型中效用参量的引入可以在一定程度上表明Agent组织的演化.     

基于局部并行搜索的分布式约束优化算法框架

针对当前局部搜索算法在求解大规模、高密度的分布式约束优化问题（DCOP）时,求解困难且难以跳出局部最优取得进一步优化等问题,提出一种基于局部并行搜索的分布式约束优化算法框架（LPOS）,算法中agent通过自身的取值并行地搜索局部所有邻居取值来进一步扩大对解空间的搜索,从而避免算法过早陷入局部最优。为了保证算法的收敛性与稳定性,设计了一种自适应平衡因子K来平衡算法对解的开发和继承能力,并在理论层面证明了并行搜索优化算法可以扩大对解空间的搜索,自适应平衡因子K可以实现平衡目的。综合实验结果表明,基于该算法框架的算法在求解低密度和高密度DCOP时性能都优于目前最新的算法。特别是在求解高密度DCOP中有显著的提升。     

Algorithms for Distributed Constraint Satisfaction: A Review

When multiple agents are in a shared environment, there usually exist constraints among the possible actions of these agents. A distributed constraint satisfaction problem (distributed CSP) is a problem to find a consistent combination of actions that satisfies these inter-agent constraints. Various application problems in multi-agent systems can be formalized as distributed CSPs. This paper gives an overview of the existing research on distributed CSPs. First, we briefly describe the problem formalization and algorithms of normal, centralized CSPs. Then, we show the problem formalization and several MAS application problems of distributed CSPs. Furthermore, we describe a series of algorithms for solving distributed CSPs, i.e., the asynchronous backtracking, the asynchronous weak-commitment search, the distributed breakout, and distributed consistency algorithms. Finally, we show two extensions of the basic problem formalization of distributed CSPs, i.e., handling multiple local variables, and dealing with over-constrained problems.     

ADOPT-ing: unifying asynchronous distributed optimization with asynchronous backtracking

This article presents an asynchronous algorithm for solving distributed constraint optimization problems (DCOPs). The proposed technique unifies asynchronous backtracking (ABT) and asynchronous distributed optimization (ADOPT) where valued nogoods enable more flexible reasoning and more opportunities for communication, leading to an important speed-up. While feedback can be sent in ADOPT by COST messages only to one predefined predecessor, our extension allows for sending such information to any relevant agent. The concept of valued nogood is an extension by Dago and Verfaille of the concept of classic nogood that associates the list of conflicting assignments with a cost and, optionally, with a set of references to culprit constraints. DCOPs have been shown to have very elegant distributed solutions, such as ADOPT, distributed asynchronous overlay (DisAO), or DPOP. These algorithms are typically tuned to minimize the longest causal chain of messages as a measure of how the algorithms will scale for systems with remote agents (with large latency in communication). ADOPT has the property of maintaining the initial distribution of the problem. To be efficient, ADOPT needs a preprocessing step consisting of computing a Depth-First Search (DFS) tree on the constraint graph. Valued nogoods allow for automatically detecting and exploiting the best DFS tree compatible with the current ordering. To exploit such DFS trees it is now sufficient to ensure that they exist. Also, the inference rules available for valued nogoods help to exploit schemes of communication where more feedback is sent to higher priority agents. Together they result in an order of magnitude improvement.     

Distributed constraint optimization with MULBS: A case study on collaborative meeting scheduling

This paper introduces MULBS, a new DCOP (distributed constraint optimization problem) algorithm and also presents a DCOP formulation for scheduling of distributed meetings in collaborative environments. Scheduling in CSCWD can be seen as a DCOP where variables represent time slots and values are resources of a production system (machines, raw-materials, hardware components, etc.) or management system (meetings, project tasks, human resources, money, etc). Therefore, a DCOP algorithm must find a set of variable assignments that maximize an objective function taking constraints into account. However, it is well known that such problems are NP-complete and that more research must be done to obtain feasible and reliable computational approaches. Thus, DCOP emerges as a very promising technique: the search space is decomposed into smaller spaces and agents solve local problems, collaborating in order to achieve a global solution. We show with empirical experiments that MULBS outperforms some of the state-of-the-art algorithms for DCOP, guaranteeing high quality solutions using less computational resources for the distributed meeting scheduling task.     

The distributed constraint satisfaction problem: formalization andalgorithms

We develop a formalism called a distributed constraint satisfaction problem (distributed CSP) and algorithms for solving distributed CSPs. A distributed CSP is a constraint satisfaction problem in which variables and constraints are distributed among multiple agents. Various application problems in distributed artificial intelligence can be formalized as distributed CSPs. We present our newly developed technique called asynchronous backtracking that allows agents to act asynchronously and concurrently without any global control, while guaranteeing the completeness of the algorithm. Furthermore, we describe how the asynchronous backtracking algorithm can be modified into a more efficient algorithm called an asynchronous weak-commitment search, which can revise a bad decision without exhaustive search by changing the priority order of agents dynamically. The experimental results on various example problems show that the asynchronous weak-commitment search algorithm is, by far more, efficient than the asynchronous backtracking algorithm and can solve fairly large-scale problems     

Benchmarking hybrid algorithms for distributed constraint optimisation games

In this paper, we consider algorithms for distributed constraint optimisation problems (DCOPs). Using a potential game characterisation of DCOPs, we decompose eight DCOP algorithms, taken from the game theory and computer science literatures, into their salient components. We then use these components to construct three novel hybrid algorithms. Finally, we empirical evaluate all eleven algorithms, in terms of solution quality, timeliness and communication resources used, in a series of graph colouring experiments. Our experimental results show the existence of several performance trade-offs (such as quick convergence to a solution, but with a cost of high communication needs), which may be exploited by a system designer to tailor a DCOP algorithm to suit their mix of requirements.     

Privacy Loss in Distributed Constraint Reasoning: A Quantitative Framework for Analysis and its Applications

It is critical that agents deployed in real-world settings, such as businesses, offices, universities and research laboratories, protect their individual users’ privacy when interacting with other entities. Indeed, privacy is recognized as a key motivating factor in the design of several multiagent algorithms, such as in distributed constraint reasoning (including both algorithms for distributed constraint optimization (DCOP) and distributed constraint satisfaction (DisCSPs)), and researchers have begun to propose metrics for analysis of privacy loss in such multiagent algorithms. Unfortunately, a general quantitative framework to compare these existing metrics for privacy loss or to identify dimensions along which to construct new metrics is currently lacking. This paper presents three key contributions to address this shortcoming. First, the paper presents VPS (Valuations of Possible States), a general quantitative framework to express, analyze and compare existing metrics of privacy loss. Based on a state-space model, VPS is shown to capture various existing measures of privacy created for specific domains of DisCSPs. The utility of VPS is further illustrated through analysis of privacy loss in DCOP algorithms, when such algorithms are used by personal assistant agents to schedule meetings among users. In addition, VPS helps identify dimensions along which to classify and construct new privacy metrics and it also supports their quantitative comparison. Second, the article presents key inference rules that may be used in analysis of privacy loss in DCOP algorithms under different assumptions. Third, detailed experiments based on the VPS-driven analysis lead to the following key results: (i) decentralization by itself does not provide superior protection of privacy in DisCSP/DCOP algorithms when compared with centralization; instead, privacy protection also requires the presence of uncertainty about agents’ knowledge of the constraint graph. (ii) one needs to carefully examine the metrics chosen to measure privacy loss; the qualitative properties of privacy loss and hence the conclusions that can be drawn about an algorithm can vary widely based on the metric chosen. This paper should thus serve as a call to arms for further privacy research, particularly within the DisCSP/DCOP arena.