Elsevier

Artificial Intelligence

Volume 186, July 2012, Pages 38-94
Artificial Intelligence

Communicating open systems

We dedicate this work to the memory of our friend and colleague, Marc Esteva, who sadly passed away in December 20111
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artint.2012.03.004Get rights and content
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Abstract

Just as conventional institutions are organisational structures for coordinating the activities of multiple interacting individuals, electronic institutions provide a computational analogue for coordinating the activities of multiple interacting software agents. In this paper, we argue that open multi-agent systems can be effectively designed and implemented as electronic institutions, for which we provide a comprehensive computational model. More specifically, the paper provides an operational semantics for electronic institutions, specifying the essential data structures, the state representation and the key operations necessary to implement them. We specify the agent workflow structure that is the core component of such electronic institutions and particular instantiations of knowledge representation languages that support the institutional model. In so doing, we provide the first formal account of the electronic institution concept in a rigorous and unambiguous way.

Keywords

Open systems
Agent communication
Formal languages
Electronic institutions

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1

Many of the ideas found in this paper stem from a close and intense collaboration with Marc over the last decade. We have valued his insight and his intellectual contributions to our joint work, to the research community, and to the research domain of multi-agent systems. Most of all, however, we have valued his friendship. The wealth of joyful moments we have shared with Marc over the years will remain constant in our memories. We miss him and will continue to do so.