Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Examples of semi-competitive systems range from simple buyer-seller
relations, to more complex systems such as task allocation problems
[2], to various e-commerce applications such as buyer coalitional for-
mation problems [3, 4]. The types of agent cooperation discussed in
this topic (and more generally, those that are studied in the discipline
of game theory) are semi-competitive ones.
Intelligent agents are also rational . For semi-competitive agent sys-
tems, this means that each agent will always act to maximize its own
benefit only, based on its current perceptions, beliefs and goals. An
implication of this is that an agent will pursue any action to achieve
its goals, even if that is achieved at a cost to other fellow agents. A
self-interested agent would not care about the overall system eciency
or the global outcome.
A rational agent will also act according to its beliefs: If an agent
certainly believes that the weather will be bad in the following days,
then it will not rationally arrange any outdoor sports activity if that
reflects his real preference. But, of course, an agent is also allowed to
have uncertainty in its beliefs, and it is also free to choose its strategy
to deal with such uncertainties. For example, different agents may have
different risk strategies, ranging from risk averse to risk seeking.
The problem of cooperation of semi-competitive agents is studied in
both computer science and economics. In computer science, protocols
are created so that interaction and cooperation between agents is made
possible, and there are various agent coalition formation mechanisms
proposed. For example, there are auction-based approaches (e.g., [5]),
'propose-and-evaluate' approaches (e.g., [6]), randomised mechanism
approaches (e.g., [7]), or even genetic algorithm-based approaches (e.g.,
[8]), to name a few.
However, after having proposed new mechanisms, we still need a
way to measure the quality of the produced solutions (coalition struc-
tures) of these mechanisms.
There are many possibilities for a solution concept. For instance,
one may think it is natural enough to use some quantitative measure-
Search WWH ::




Custom Search