Modelling Multi-agent Reactive Systems

Abstract

Reactive systems are those that continuously interact with their environment asynchronously. A number of formalisms have been presented in the literature for reactive systems. However, these formalisms do not model systems that consist of a number of reactive sub-components dynamically interacting with each other and the environment. An example of this type of system can be seen in the telecommunications arena, where sophisticated telephony applications involve controlling a number of individual calls distributed across different switches, and where the interactions between the calls changes dynamically. Another example, is the modelling of multi-agent systems consisting of agents that are conceptually distinct from each other, and which maintain internal state and beliefs. The agents interact with each other and the environment, and can change their internal state and beliefs as they evolve over time.