IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

"Agen t-ba sed m odellin g is a th ird wa y of doin g scien ce. Like dedu ction , it sta rts with a set of explicit a ssu m ption s. Bu t u n like dedu ction , it does n ot prove th eorem s. In stea d a n ABM gen era tes sim u la ted da ta th a t ca n be a n a lyzed in du ctively. Un like typica l in d u ction , h owever, th e sim u la ted da ta com e from a rigorou sly specified set of ru les ra th er th a n direct m ea su rem en t of th e rea l world. Wh erea s t h e pu rpose of in du ction is to fin d pa ttern s in da ta a n d th a t of dedu ction is to fin d con sequ en ces of a ssu m ption s, th e pu rpose of ABM is to a id in tu ition . Agen t-ba sed m odellin g is a wa y of doin g th ou gh t experim en t s. Alth ou gh th e a ssu m ption s m a y be sim ple, th e con siqu en ces m a y n ot be a t a ll obviou s. Nu m erou s exa m ples .... of loca lly in t era ctin g a gen ts a re ca lled `em ergen t properties' of th e syst em . Em ergen t properties a re often su rprisin g beca u se it ca n be h a rd to a n ticipa te th e fu l con sequ en ces of even sim ple form s of in tera ct ion . -- Robert Axelrod

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

What is ABM?
(m icro ) e le m e n ts of a complex system a r e in vestigated in or der to an a lyse th e gen er a tion of m a c ro s tru ctu re s , often r efer r ed to as emer gen d pr oper ties

A gen t
Sensor input A ction output

En ro ent vi nm

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

What is an Agent?

in pu t (sen s or )- ou t pu t (a ct ion ) en t it y n ever con t r ols it s en t ir e en vir on m en t ju s t s om e (pa r t ia l) in flu en ce on /con t r ol of a s ys t em effectoric cap abilit y - a bilit y of a n a gen t t o m odify it s en vir on m en t a ct ion s h a ve pr e-con dit ion s decis ion for s om e a ct ion s is det er m in ed by t h e a gen t a r ch it ect u r e m a y obt a in com plet e, a ccu r a t e a n d u p-t o-d a t e in for m a t ion a bou t it s en vir on m en t

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

What is an Environment?

Th e en vir on men t of a n agen t is n on -d eterm in istic, a n d th u s an a gen t (or th e modeller ) h a s to be pr epa r ed for some fa ilu r e. N on -deter min istic en vir on men ts imply a gr ea t deal of u n certain ty Th er e is n o gu a r a n teed effect of a n y a ction . In an episod ic en vir on men t, th e per for ma n ce of an a gen t is depen den t on a n u mber of descr ite episodes A static en vir on men t r ema in s u n ch a n ged except for th e action s of a n agen t A d yn am ic en vir on men t h as oth er pr ocesses oper a tin g on it. Discrete en vir on men ts h a ve a fixed n u mber of a ction s a n d per cepts in it.

Th e most complex gen er a l class of en vir on men ts ar e th ose th a t ar e in accessable, n on -deter min istic, n on -episodic, dyn a mic, an d con tin u ou s.

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

What is an Intelligent Agent?

R e a c tiv ity - capa ble of flexible au ton om ou s a ction . Th ey a r e a ble to per ceive th eir en vir on men t a n d r espon d accor din g to th eir ca pabilities a n d th e design objectives P ro a ctiv e n e s s - a ble ta ke in itia tive in or der to r each th eir goa ls S o c ia l a b ility - ca pable of in ter a ction with oth er a gen ts.Social ability in clu des commu n ication su ch as commu n ica tion a n d co-per ation . Th e design of in telligen t a gen ts --> goa l-dir ected pr ogr ammin g In a complex en vir on men t in clu din g u n cer ta in ty, a n agen t sh ou ld be design ed with a balan ce between goa l-dir ected a n d r ea ctive beh a viou r .

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Agents vs. Objects

"Object s a r e defin ed a s com pu t a t ion a l en t it ies t h a t en ca psu la t e s om e st a t e, a r e a ble t o p er for m a ct ion s , or m et h od s on t h is st a t e, a n d com m u n ica t e by m es s a ge pa s sin g." (Wooldr idge, 2000, p34)

Differ in t h e decis ion t o execu t e a n a ct ion Object s h a ve t h e m et h od t o m a ke a decis ion Agen t s r equ ir e a n a ct ion . Au t on om y is n ot a com p on en t of a n object -or ien t ed m odel An object h a s n o flexible a u t on om ou s beh a viou r Agen t s h a ve own t h r ea d of con t r ol Object -or ien t ed s ys t em h a s a sin gle t h r ea d

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Agents Architectures
E n vir on m en t Act ion S = {s 1, s 2, .....,s x}; A = {a 1, a 2, .....,a x};

Agen t a s a fu n ct ion of t h e en vir on m en t : S* --> A n on -det er m in ist ic beh a viou r of a n en vir on m en t : S x A --> (S) Agen t en vir on m en t in t er a ct ion = h is t or y

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Purely Reactive Agents

E xa m ples : Th er m os t a t e, U N IX da em on s ...if (a ct ion is r equ ir ed) t h en (a ct ) els e (do n ot a ct )

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Logic-based Architectures

Decis ion m a kin g a s dedu ct ion (t h eor em pr ovin g) E n coded in logica l t h eor y (logica l s em a n t ics ) Select in g a n a ct ion is r edu ced t o a pr oblem of pr oof As su m pt ion s : ca lcu la t ive r a t ion a lit y, s t a t ic en vir on m en t

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Reactive Architectures

Alt er n a t ively - su bsu m ption a r ch it ect u r e (Br ooks, 1986) Beh a vior a l a ppr oa ch a s a lt er n a t ive t o sym bolic Ar t ificia l In t elligen ce Ta s k a ccom plis h in g beh a viou r r u les in for m of: s it u a t ion --> a ct ion m a n y beh a viou r s ca n fir e sim u lt a n iou s ly su bs u m pt ion h ier a r ch y, la yer s of pr ior it y decis ion fu n ct ion action is r ea lized t h r ou gh a set of beh a viou r s co-oper a t ion is pos sible t a sk s h a r in g

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Belief-Desire- Intention (BDI) Architectures

Ba s ed on t h e ph ilosoph y of practical reason in g (B ratm an , Georgeff, R ao) Wh a t goa ls t o a ch ieve h ow? Deliber a t ion a n d m ea n s -en ds r ea s on in g Ch oice bet ween opt ion s , a n d com m it t o on e --> in t en t ion --> a ct ion In t en t ion s pla y a cen t r a l r ole: Con s t r a in s fu t u r e pr a ct ica l r ea s on in g, in t en t ion per s is t s In t en t ion s a r e clos ely r ela t ed t o beliefs Key pr oblem : balan ce Deliber a t ion pr ocess m u st be t u n ed Lea r n in g pr oces s

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Belief-Desire- Intention (BDI) Architectures

Sensor input

Action output

brf belief desire

filter

action
Generate options

Intentions

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Other concepts
Cogn it ive a gen t s (Con t e & Ca s t elfr a n ch i, 1996) Th eor y of r ea son ed a ct ion (F is h bein & Ajzen , 1980)

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Multi-agent Systems (MAS) and Societies of Agents

Ch a r a ct er is t ics of a n MAS: In fr a st r u ct u r e specifyin g com m u n ica t ion a n d in t er a ct ion pr ot ocols MAS a r e open wit h ou t cen t r a lized design er Agen t s a r e: a u t on om ou s , dist r ibu t ed, a n d m a y be selfin t er es t ed or co-oper a t ive

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Multi-agent Systems (MAS) and Societies of Agents

Co-ordination Co-operation Planning Competition

Negotiation
Centralized Planning

Distributed Planning

IA Colloquium Series Agent-based Modelling: Theory, Concepts and Practice

Jrg Krywkow & Matt Hare

Multi-agent Systems (MAS) and Societies of Agents

Tw o s ig n ific a n t a p p ro a c h e s :

ga m e t h eor y (r es sou r ce a lloca t ion , m a r ket sit u a t ion s) a da pt ive a gen t s

This pr esent a t ion is der ived pr im a r ely fr om :

Mich ae l Wooldridge : Int elligent Agent s. In Mult iagent Syst ems. Ger har d Weiss (ed). Chapt er 1, pages 27 - 77. Massachusset t s Inst it ut e of Technology, Cambr idge, Massachuset t s; London, England, 2nd edit ion, 2000. Robe rt Axe lrod: The Complexit y of Cooper at ion. Pr incet on Univer sit y Pr ess, Chichest er , West Sussex, 1997.