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A Formal Approach to Agent Design: An Overview of Constraint-Based Agents

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Abstract

Formal models for agent design are important for both practical and theoretical reasons. The Constraint-Based Agent (CBA) design approach includes two formal models: Constraint Nets and Timed ∀-automata. A constraint net models the agents and the environment symmetrically as, possibly hybrid, dynamical systems; a timed ∀-automaton specifies the desired real-time dynamic behaviors of the situated agents. Given a constraint-based specification of the desired behavior, a constraint-based agent can be synthesized as a constraint solver. Using formal modeling and specification, it is also possible to verify complex agents as obeying real-time temporal constraint specifications. This overview paper presents a summary of the development and application of the CBA framework.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lab for Computational Intelligence, Department of Computer Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Alan K. Mackworth

  2. Palo Alto Research Center, Systems and Practices Lab, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA

    Ying Zhang

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  1. Alan K. Mackworth
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Mackworth, A.K., Zhang, Y. A Formal Approach to Agent Design: An Overview of Constraint-Based Agents. Constraints 8, 229–242 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025697810124

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