The new edition of an introduction to multiagent systems that captures the state of the art in both theory and practice, suitable as textbook or reference.
Multiagent systems are made up of multiple interacting intelligent agents-computational entities to some degree autonomous and able to cooperate, compete, communicate, act flexibly, and exercise control over their behavior within the frame of their objectives. They are the enabling technology for a wide range of advanced applications relying on distributed and parallel processing of data, information, and knowledge relevant in domains ranging from industrial manufacturing to e-commerce to health care. This book offers a state-of-the-art introduction to multiagent systems, covering the field in both breadth and depth, and treating both theory and practice. It is suitable for classroom use or independent study.
This second edition has been completely revised, capturing the tremendous developments in multiagent systems since the first edition appeared in 1999. Sixteen of the book's seventeen chapters were written for this edition; all chapters are by leaders in the field, with each author contributing to the broad base of knowledge and experience on which the book rests.
The book covers basic concepts of computational agency from the perspective of both individual agents and agent organizations; communication among agents; coordination among agents; distributed cognition; development and engineering of multiagent systems; and background knowledge in logics and game theory. Each chapter includes references, many illustrations and examples, and exercises of varying degrees of difficulty. The chapters and the overall book are designed to be self-contained and understandable without additional material. Supplemental resources are available on the book's Web site.
Part I Agent Architectures and Organizations
1. Intelligent Agent
2. Multiagent Organizations
Part II Communication
3. Agent Communication
4. Negotiation and Bargaining
5. Argumentation among Agent
Part III Basic Coordination
6. Computational Social Choice
7. Mechanism Design and Auctions
8. Computational Coalition Formation
9. Trust and Reputation in Multiagent Systems
Part IV Distributed Cognitive Abilities
10. Multiagent Learning
11. Multiagent Planning, Control, and Execution
12. Distributed Constraint Handling and Optimization
Part V Development and Engineering
13. Programming Multiagent Systems
14. Specification and Verification of Multiagent Systems
15. Agent-Oriented Software Engineering
Part VI Technical Background
16. Logics for Multiagent Systems
17. Game-Theoretic Foundations of Multiagent Systems
Subject Index
