Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 14
Distributed Intelligence
Distributed intelligence mainly researches how to solve the problem by
physically or logically distributed system. Agent computing is not only the hot
topic of artificial intelligence, but also an important breakpoint for next-
generation software development.
14.1 Introduction
Solving large and complex problems usually needs many professional persons or
social groups to work together. Since 1970s distributed intelligence became a hot
research topic gradually with the development of computer networks,
communication and parallel program design technology. From 1990s, the rapid
development of Internet provides great conditions for novel information systems
and decision support systems. They greatly increase in scale, scope and complex
degree. Distributed intelligence become the key point of these systems which has
following characteristic:
(1) The data, knowledge and control is distributed not only on logic but also on
physical. It has no control for the whole system and
(2) Each problem solver is connected by computer network. The cost of
communication is much less than the problem solution cost.
(3) Every component collaborates with each other to solve the problem which
one component can not solve it singly.
The implementation of distributed artificial intelligence can remedy the
shortage of traditional expert system and greatly improve the performance of
knowledge system. The main advantages are as follows:
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