Designing Agent Systems
Marcin Paprzycki,
Computer Science Department, Oklahoma State University –
Abstract:
For many years a message is being perpetuated that software agent technologies will become the next revolution in computer science. This change is to occur not only in the ways we construct software [2] but it is also to have a much broader impact on the field of human-computer interaction [1,3]. Unfortunately, as it is easy to see, the revolution that is prophesized since 1994 by the agent-believers does not materialize (regardless of the rapidly increasing number of conferences, workshops, special sessions, publications, etc). It is not the case that when we turn the computer on in the morning, we contact “our agent” to receive a personalized newscast, our day-plan and, on the basis of that plan as well as the weather forecast and knowledge of our dressing-preferences, an advice what to wear (agent ideal servant). Similarly, when creating software for an e-shop we do not utilize pre-existing agent-modules (e.g. advertising agents, inventory managers etc.). To the contrary, it is rather difficult to point to a successful large-scale implementation of an agent system.
The aim of the presentation will be three-fold. First, a general introduction to software agents will be presented followed by the discussion of major points raised “for” and “against” software agent systems (including highly critical analysis presented in [4]). Second, it will be shown, that it should be actually possible to develop large scale agent systems as state-of-the-art agent platforms like JADE scale up to more than a thousand agents and a few hundred thousand messages. Finally, a positive research program will be stated and illustrated using negotiating agents with dynamically loadable “reasoning” modules.
References
[1] J. Hendler, Is There an Intelligent Agent in Your Future?, Nature, 11 March, 1999, http://www.nature.com/nature/webmatters/agents/agents.html
[2] N. R. Jennings, An agent-based approach for building complex software systems,” Communications of the ACM, 44 (4), 2001, 35-41
[3] P. Maes. “Agents that Reduce Work and Information Overload.” Communications of the ACM, 37(7), 1994, 31-40
[4] H. Nwana, D. Ndumu, A perspective on software agents research, The Knowledge Engineering Review, 14 (2), 1999, 1-18
Date: 2005-Feb-21 Time: 13:30:00 Room: 905 (Auditório Omega)
For more information:
Upcoming Events
Mathematics, Physics & Machine Learning Seminar Series (Online)

The Mathematics, Physics & Machine Learning seminar series has started on October 2020 and runs until March 2021.
The seminars aim to bring together mathematicians and physicists interested in machine learning (ML) with ML and AI experts interested in mathematics and physics, with the goal of introducing innovative Mathematics and Physics-inspired techniques in Machine Learning and, reciprocally, applying Machine Learning to problems in Mathematics and Physics.
Attendance is free but registration is required.
More information is available here.
International European Conference on Parallel and Distributed Computing

The 27th International European Conference on Parallel and Distributed Computing (Euro-Par 2021) will take from August 30 to September 3 2021 in Lisbon.
Euro-Par is the prime European conference covering all aspects of parallel and distributed processing, ranging from theory to practice, from small to the largest parallel and distributed systems and infrastructures, from fundamental computational problems to full-fledged applications, from architecture, compiler, language and interface design and implementation, to tools, support infrastructures, and application performance aspects.
The 2021 edition of Euro-Par will be organized as a collaboration between INESC-ID and Instituto Superior Técnico (IST).
Important Dates:
– Abstract Submission: February 5, 2021
– Paper Submission Deadline: February 12, 2021
– Author Notification: April 30, 2021
– Camera-Ready Papers: June 6, 2021
More information is available here.