Towards Problem Solving Methods in Multi-agent Systems

Problem Solving Methods (PSM) are abstract structures that describe specific reasoning processes employed to solve a set of similar problems and have proved very effective at enhancing reuse and extensibility in developing knowledge-based systems. We envisage that off-the-shelf PSMs can similarly assist in the development of agent-oriented solutions using Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). A challenge towards the effective use of PSMs in MAS is that current approaches to formulating PSMs do not adequately address the complexity of problems to which agent-oriented systems are suited. Towards addressing this, this paper focuses on providing an approach to guide developers in adequately formulating PSMs for complex problemsolving where interactions are involved, such as in domains where negotiation and cooperation are essential for solving a problem.