Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The proposal of an autonomous agent contributes to the development of the ele-
ments of global systems as the concept of a certain mobile entity (system) which can
relocate in cyberspace, and through operating in its different areas realizes complex
tasks, most often in cooperation with other agents.
Considerations presented in this chapter are aimed at defining the concept of an
agent through creating a relatively coherent image of the agent as a certain mobile
system capable of operating in the local as well as the global environment due to
the creation of cyberspace. They are also to constitute a bridge between scientific,
theoretical approach presented in the previous chapter and the one that is close to the
practical point of view, i.e., the concept of an agent and its properties as well as the
agent system.
This aim will be realized by introducing the M-agent architecture. Pursuant to
the model presented with the use of the M-agent architecture, the basic properties of
an agent and agent systems as well as possibilities of practical interpretation of the
notions we introduced will be discussed.
3.2 The Notion of an Agent and the Concept
of Its Architecture
In the present considerations, the notion of an agent was introduced on the basis of
analysis of decomposition possibilities of an algorithm into component algorithms
which should be autonomous, if possible.
Under these considerations we may define features an agent should be equipped
with, however, it is not clearly enough how we should approach the design and the
structure of an agent or the agent system.
In this part, based on the analysis of development of different approaches to
creating software development (e.g., classical approach [182]), we will attempt to
look at an agent from the practical point of view and form certain directions that have
application to the design of agents.
The
M-agent architecture
will be used for connecting theoretical approach with
practical, i.e., a formal approach to the analysis of methods used in the field of
software with an informal (intuitive) point of view on an algorithm as an active
element existing (and operating) in a definite environment.
3.2.1 The Concept of an Agent—Informal
Information Technology Approach
Accepting an informal (intuitive) point of view on an algorithm as an active element
existing and operating in a definite environment, we may differentiate subsequent
notions of a procedure, a process and an object.
