CS483/683 - AI Programming
Lecture 1:Introduction to
Multi-Agent Systems
19 January 2010Instructor: Kostas Bekris
Computer Science & Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno
Multi-Agent Systems: Algorithmic, Game-theoretic and Logical Foundations
MAS
What are multi-agent systems
Very vague definition:A system composed of multiple interacting
intelligent agents
Multiple?Multiple?Intelligent Intelligent
Agent?Agent?Interacting?Interacting?
MAS
Intelligent Agents
How can we fully describe an AI problem?
MAS
Multiple Interacting Agents
MAS
Forms of Interaction
Treat other agents similarly to the environment:
•Sensing and observing the behavior of other agents
•Acting upon other agents
Aspects of interaction in the field of multi-agent systems:
•Reason about the decision-making process of other agents
•Communication
•Respect predefined “social laws” and protocols of interaction
- how can a team of agents make fair decisions (e.g., voting schemes)
MAS
Agent Relations
Multi-Agent System
Cooperative Agents(optimize a
common utility) Non-cooperative Agents(separate utilities)
Coalitional Agents(e.g. opposing teams
of agents)
Competing Agents(e.g., opposing utilities)
Agents withdiverging interests
MAS
Types of Problems
Agent Design
•How to design an agent that collaborates with other agents to solve a common task?
•How to design an agent that competes with other agents so as to be the winner?
•How to design an agent that operates efficiently in an environment where multiple other agents operate with divergent interests?
Mechanism Design
•How to design the entire system so that a common utility function is optimized even when each agent is “strategic” (i.e., aims to optimize its own utility?)
MAS
Topics of Research in MAS
Agent-oriented Software Engineering Beliefs, Desired and Intentions (BDI) Cooperation and Coordination Organization Communication Negotiation Distributed Problem Solving Multi-Agent Learning Scientific Communities Dependability and Fault-Tolerance
MAS
Example Applications
Autonomous Physical Devices
•Multi-robot teams
•Coordinated Defense / Space Exploration Systems
•Sensor Networks
•Transportation and Traffic
Simulation Environments
•Computer Games
•Scientific Simulation
Networking, Mobile Technologies and the Internet
•Automatic and Dynamic Load Balancing
•Self-healing networks
Financial / Economics problems
•Pricing, accounting and logistics
•Bidding mechanisms, negotiations, e-commerce, electricity/energy markets
MAS
Why do we need MAS?
Ubiquity
•Send sensors and robots everywhere
Fault-tolerance
•Make many small, cheap devices, instead of one large, expensive one
•If a single device fails, the system may continue operating
The real world is a huge Multi-Agent System
•We might have to simulate real-world MAS
•Or we might desire to exercise some control over them
For fun
•Computer games and games in general
For profit
•You have to compete to succeed
•And you have to understand the underlying MAS to be a good competitor
MAS
Objections to MAS
Isn’t it all just Distributed Systems / Networking?
•Systems can be self-interested
Isn’t is all just Artificial Intelligence?
•Communication and social aspects were typically ignored in classical AI
Isn’t it all just Economics / Game Theory?
•We must also come with algorithmic solutions to game theoretic problems
•Not all assumptions in Game Theory are always true (e.g., “perfect market”)
Isn’t it all Social Science?
•Artificial societies do not have to be built exactly like human and biological societies
MAS
Class Overview
Intro to Multi-Agent Systems
Distributed Path Planning
Distributed Constraint Satisfaction
Distributed Constraint Optimization•Belief Propagation
•ADOPT
1.Auctions
Coordination through Social Laws
and protocols
{red, blue, green}
{red, blue, green}{red, blue, green}
≠ ≠
≠
a
b c
d
s t
1
1
3
2
2
2
1
1
3
∞
∞
∞ ∞
∞
0
MAS
Class Overview
Games in Normal Form• Two-player, zero-sum games
• General-sum games
• Nash equilibria and strategies
Games in Extensive Form•Perfect-Information Games
•Imperfect Information
6.Behavioral Strategies
Richer representations of games•Bayesian games
•Communication and Signaling games
Multi-agent Resource Allocation•Auctions
Husband
Wife
Lethal Weapon
WondrousLove
LethalWeapon
2, 1 0, 0
WondrousLove
0, 0 1, 2
Early March:Proposal Presentation
and Report
Late April:Final Presentation
and Report
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