Executable Temporal Logic for Distributed A.I

This paper describes Concurrent METATEM, a programming language based on temporal logic, and applies it to the study of Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI). A Concurrent METATEM system consists of a number of asynchronously executing objects, which are able to communicate through broadcast message-passing. Each individual object directly executes a specification of its desired behaviour. Such specifications are given using a set of temporal logic ‘rules’, determining how the object may generate ‘commitments’, which it subsequently attempts to satisfy. This language provides a novel and powerful approach to representing DAI systems, where individual ‘agents’ are specified in a natural way using temporal logic, while groups of agents communicate by broadcasting information. The paper begins by discussing and justifying the Concurrent METATEM approach, and then describes objects and their execution in more detail. Several examples are presented, demonstrating the utility of Concurrent METATEM for DAI applications. Finally, the language is contrasted with other contemporary DAI testbeds.