FMS scheduling as cooperative problem solving

Cooperative Problem Solving

We present a quantitative assessment of the value of cooperation for solving constraint satisfaction problems through a series of experiments, as well as a general theory of cooperative problem solving. These experiments, using both hierarchical and non-hierarchical cooperation, clearly exhibit a universal improvement in performance that results from cooperation. We also show both theoretically...

Cooperative problem solving and explanation

Recent studies have pointed out several limitations of expert systems regarding user needs, and have introduced the concepts of cooperation and joint cognitive systems in the focus of AI. While research on explanation generation by expert systems has been widely developed, there has been little consideration of explanation in relation to cooperative systems. Our aim is to elaborate a conceptual...

The Cooperative Problem-solving Process

We present a model of cooperative problem solving that describes the process from its beginning, with some agent recognising the potential for cooperation with respect to one of its goals, through to team action. Our approach is to characterise the mental states of the agents that leads them to solicit, and take part in, cooperative action. The model is formalised by expressing it as a theory i...

The Cooperative Problem-Solving Process

Modeling Cooperative Multiagent Problem Solving as Decentralized Decision Processes

We present a formal framework for modeling and control of cooperative multiagent problem solving. Such a framework is crucial for understanding and evaluating various design choices based on first principles. This framework allows us to define precisely the notion of optimal cooperation and analyze its complexity. Communication decisions are introduced to allow agents to reason explicitly about...