Skip to main content

Specification of Bahavioural Requirements within Compositional Multi-agent System Design

  • Conference paper

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 1647))

Abstract

In this paper it is shown how informal and formal specification of behavioural requirements and scenarios for agents and multi-agent systems can be integrated within multi-agent system design. In particular, it is addressed how a compositional perspective both on design descriptions and specification of behavioural requirements can be exploited. The approach has been applied in a case study: the development of a mediating information agent. It is shown that compositional verification benefits from the integration of requirements engineering within the design process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Benjamins, R., Fensel, D., and Straatman, R., Assumptions of problem-solving methods and their role in knowledge engineering. In: W. Wahlster (Ed.), Proceedings of the Twelfth European Conference on Artificial Intelligence, ECAI’96, John Wiley and Sons, 1996, pp. 408–412.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Brazier, F.M.T., Dunin-Keplicz, B., Jennings, N.R. and Treur, J. Formal specification of Multi-Agent Systems: a real World Case. In: Lesser, V. (ed.), Proceedings of the First International Conference on Multi-Agent Systems, ICMAS’95, MIT Press, Menlo Park, VS, 1995, pp. 25–32. Extended version in: International Journal of Cooperative Information Systems, M. Huhns, M. Singh, (eds.), special issue on Formal Methods in Cooperative Information Systems: Multi-Agent Systems, vol. 6, 1997, pp. 67–94.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Brazier, F.M.T., Jonker, C.M., and Treur, J., Principles of Compositional Multi-agent System Development. In: J. Cuena (ed.), Proceedings of the 15th IFIP World Computer Congress, WCC’98, Conference on Information Technology and Knowledge Systems, IT&KNOWS’98, 1998, pp. 347–360.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Brazier, F.M.T., Treur, J., Wijngaards, N.J.E. and Willems, M., Temporal semantics of compositional task models and problem solving methods. Data and Knowledge Engineering, vol. 29(1), 1999, pp. 17–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Davis, A. M., Software requirements: Objects, Functions, and States, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1993.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Dijkstra, E.W., A discipline of programming. Prentice Hall, 1976.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Dubois, E. (1998). ALBERT: a Formal Language and its supporting Tools for Requirements Engineering.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Dubois, E., Du Bois, P., and Zeippen, J.M., A Formal Requirements Engineering Method for Real-Time, Concvurrent, and Distributed Systems. In: Proceedings of the Real-Time Systems Conference, RTS’95, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Dubois, E., Yu, E., Petit, M., From Early to Late Formal Requirements. In: Proceedings IWSSD’98. IEEE Computer Society Press, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Engelfriet, J., Jonker, CM. and Treur, J., Compositional Verification of Multi-Agent Systems in Temporal Multi-Epistemic Logic. In: J.P. Mueller, M.P. Singh, A.S. Rao (eds.), Pre-proc. of the Fifth International Workshop on Agent Theories, Architectures and Languages, ATAL’98, 1998, pp. 91–106. To appear in: J.P. Mueller, M.P. Singh, A.S. Rao (eds.), Intelligent Agents V. Lecture Notes in AI, Springer Verlag. In press, 1999

    Google Scholar 

  11. Erdmann, M. and Studer, R., Use-Cases and Scenarios for Developing Knowledge-based Systems. In: Proceedings of the 15th IFIP World Computer Congress, WCC’98, Conference on Information Technologies and Knowledge Systems, IT&KNOWS (J. Cuena, ed.), 1998, pp. 259–272.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Eriksson, H. E., and Penker, M., UML Toolkit. Wiley Computer Publishing, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gero, J.S., and Sudweeks, F., (eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Design’ 96, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1996.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. Gero, J.S., and Sudweeks, F., (eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Design’ 98, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1998.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. Harmon, P., and Watson, M., Understanding UML, the Developer’s Guide. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, San Francisco, 1998.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. Herlea, D.E., Jonker, C.M., Treur, J., and Wijngaards, N.J.E. A Formal Knowledge Level Process Model of Requirements Engineering. In: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Industrial and Engineering Applications of AI and Expert Systems, IEA/AIE’99. Lecture Notes in AI, Springer Verlag, 1999, To appear.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Jonker, C.M. and Treur, J., Compositional Verification of Multi-Agent Systems: a Formal Analysis of Pro-activeness and Reactiveness. In: W.P. de Roever, H. Langmaack, A. Pnueli (eds.), Proceedings of the International Workshop on Compositionality, COMPOS’97. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 1536, Springer Verlag, 1998, pp. 350–380

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kontonya, G., and Sommerville, I., Requirements Engineering: Processes and Techniques. John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Musen, M., Ontology Oriented Design and Programming: a New Kind of OO. In: J. Cuena (ed.), Proceedings of the 15th IFIP World Computer Congress, WCC’98, Conference on Information Technology and Knowledge Systems, IT&KNOWS’98, 1998, pp. 17–20.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Nwana, H.S., and Ndumu, D.T., A Brief Introduction to Software Agent Technology. In Jennings, N.R., and Wooldridge, M. (eds.), Agent Technology: Foundations, Applications, and Markets. Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1998, pp. 29–47.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Sommerville, I., and Sawyer P., Requirements Engineering: a good practice guide. John Wiley & Sons, Chicester, England, 1997.

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  22. Weidenhaupt, K., Pohl, M., Jarke, M. and Haumer, P., Scenarios in system development: current practice, in IEEE Software, pp. 34–45, March/April, 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Wooldridge, M., and Jennings, N.R., Agent Theories, Architectures, and Languages: a survey. In: Wooldridge, M., and Jennings, N.R. (eds.) Intelligent Agents, Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence, vol. 890, Springer Verlag, Berlin, 1995, pp. 1–39.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1999 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Herlea, D.E., Jonker, C.M., Treur, J., Wijngaards, N.J.E. (1999). Specification of Bahavioural Requirements within Compositional Multi-agent System Design. In: Garijo, F.J., Boman, M. (eds) Multi-Agent System Engineering. MAAMAW 1999. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 1647. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48437-X_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48437-X_2

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-66281-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48437-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics