A formal compositional model of multiagent interaction

Interaction protocols for multiagent systems have been described diagrammatically in an extension of UML called AUML (Agent UML). In this paper, we show how to translate these protocols to equivalent Petri net specifications. A novelty of our approach is that the Petri nets are modular, clearly separating the protocol from the interaction behaviour of agents induced by their participation in the protocol, yet compositional. We contend that compositionality is useful since multiagent systems and their interactions are inherently modular, and so that mission-critical parts of a system can be analysed separately. Our model can serve at least two purposes in multigent systems engineering: firstly, specification and verification, and secondly, as a basis for synthesising skeleton code of interacting agents from specifications in the spirit of interaction-oriented programming. Categories and Subject Descriptors D.2.4 [Software Engineering]: Software Verification—formal methods; D.2....

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: ATAL
• Authors: Sea Ling, Seng Wai Loke
• Keywords: ATAL 2003, Interaction Protocols, Multiagent Systems, Petri Nets