A new algebraic modelling approach to distributed problem-solving in MAS

This paper is devoted to a new algebraic modelling approach to distributed problem-solving in multi-agent systems (MAS), which is featured by a unified framework for describing and treating social behaviors, social dynamics and social intelligence. A conceptual architecture of algebraic modelling is presented. The algebraic modelling of typical social behaviors, social situation and social dynamics is discussed in the context of distributed problem-solving in MAS. The comparison and simulation on distributed task allocations and resource assignments in MAS show more advantages of the algebraic approach than other conventional methods. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos.60135010 and 60073008, the NKBRSF (973) of China under Grant No.G1999032707, the State Key Laboratory Foundation of Intelligence Technology and Systems. Tsinghua University, and the Visiting Scholar Foundation of University Key Labs of China. SHUAI Dianxun was born in 1941. He graduated from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 1962 and received his Ph.D. degree in computer science and technology from Tsinghua University in 1986. He is presently a professor and Ph.D. supervisor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology. As a senior visiting scholar, he did research work in Tohoku University, Japan, during 1980–1982, in Minnesota University and CDIC, USA during 1986–1987, and in Doshisha University and Kyoto Sangyo University, Japan during 1993–1997. His research interests are artificial intelligence, distributed parallel processing, evolutionary computing, multi-agent systems and network dynamics. DENG Zhidong is presently a professor in computer science and technology, Tsinghua University. He was born in 1966 and received his Ph.D. degree in computer science from Harbin Polytechnic University in 1992.