Many problem-solving tasks can be formalized as constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs). In a multi-agent setting, information about constraints and variables may belong to different agents and be kept confidential. Existing algorithms for distributed constraint satisfaction consider mainly the case where access to variables is restricted to certain agents, but constraints may have to be reveal...

Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) are an efficient approach to deal with distributed complex problems. However, they are slightly suited to optimization ones. In order to tackle this problem we present a model to specify Multi-Agent Systems with the Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) formalism. It allows to take advantages from CSP solving algorithms and to deal with optimization problems. For this ...

This paper introduces a problem solving method involving independent agents and a set of partial solutions. In the Iterative Multi-Agent (IMA) method, each agent knows about a subset of the whole problem and can not solve it all by itself. An agent picks a partial solution from the set and then applies its knowledge of the problem to bring that partial solution closer to a total solution. This ...

We present a language Scc for a speciication of the direct exchange and/or the global sharing of information in multi-agent systems. Scc is based on concurrent constraint programming paradigm which we modify in such a way that agents can (i) maintain its local private store, (ii) share (read/write) the information in the global store and (iii) communicate with other agents (via multi-party or h...

This paper introduces Swarm Queens, a Swarm Intelligence approach to the N-Queens problem. ERA is the current best Multiagent Systems solution to this classic Constraint Satisfaction Problem. Our algorithm improves upon ERA in terms of both time and space complexity. In addition, Swarm Queens has a simpler design and delivers much more consistent time performance from run to run. We discuss the...

This paper presents an algorithm for plan health repair in multi-agent plan execution. Plan-execution health repair aims at avoiding conflicts that might arise due to disruptions in the execution of a plan. This can be achieved by adjusting the executions of tasks instead of replanning the tasks. For this purpose, established methods from the domains of planning, discrete event systems, model-b...

A multiagent application consists of an environment and a number of agents. The environment contains information that the agents use and manipulate to do their work. When a multiagent system is decentralized over a number of different hosts (i.e. more than one execution platform is used), the environment has to be decentralized as well. The distributed layout of the environment can influence th...

This paper presents a protocol for plan health repair in multi-agent plan execution. Plan health repair aims at avoiding conflicts that might arise due to disruptions in the execution of a plan. This can be achieved by adjusting the executions of tasks instead of replanning the tasks. For this purpose, established methods from the domains of planning, discrete event systems, model-based diagnos...

The subject matter of the study are the automated guided vehicle (AGV) operation synchronization mechanisms in flexible manufacturing systems, where transport processes can be modeled as a system of cyclic concurrent processes sharing common resources, i.e., some preset travelling route intervals. In this paper the problem of determination of the local rules coordinating access of the vehicles ...

imperialist competitive algorithm (ica) is a new socio-politically motivated global search strategy. the ica is applied to hybrid composite laminates to obtain minimum weight and cost. the approach which is chosen for conducting the multi-objective optimization was the weighted sum method (wsm). the hybrid composite laminates are made of glass/epoxy and carbon/epoxy to combine the lightness and...