The collection of roles, authority relationships, data flow, resource allocation, and coordination patterns that guide the behaviors of all agents are defined as an organizational topology. The major topologies used in MAS include hierarchies, holarchies, coalitions, teams, congregations, societies, federations, markets, and matrix organizations [44]. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and some topologies […]

Since the beginning of artificial intelligence in the 1950s, scientists have been developing computer programs with the purpose of learning how to perform a specific task. Machine learning became a very exciting branch of artificial intel­ligence, for it aims at designing machines that can improve their performance without having to actually program them explicitly. Instead […]

As described by Russell and Norvig [31], the internal architecture (or anatomy) of an agent defines its behavior, i. e., there is a function mapping every sequence of percepts (what the agent perceives) into actions. This function can be simple, as in reactive agents, or quite complex as in cognitive agents. An architecture such as […]

FIPA specification SC00023 [30] defines two levels in how agents should be managed, exist, and operate. The first level, called ‘‘agent level’’, corresponds to each agent itself, while the second relates to groups of agents and how they interact with each other, called the ‘‘MAS level’’. At the agent level, the specification defines the life […]

A common language and vocabulary is required for agents to communicate. Therefore, languages such as ACL and knowledge query and manipulation lan­guage (KQML) were created and can be used for MAS development. ACL is a FIPA specification [28] and is usually preferred. Similarly to protocols such as TCP, each message is given several attributes, including […]

The is an on-going development of the ‘‘Internet of things’’ is expected to enable all kinds of products (including energy sources and loads) to be interconnected. These products will need to use a common language to interact coherently. Interoperability between products from different designers and vendors is an important concern if the designed system needs […]

With a growing number of applications of MAS in various disciplinary fields, several methodologies have been created to enable developers to follow a formal process when designing MAS. These methodologies describe the tasks and activities that take place during the development process. Similarly to most standard software development methodologies, or life cycles, most MAS development […]

This section gives the fundamentals on how MAS can be applied to power sys­tems. It is described how existing standards, methodologies, languages, tools, architectures, and choices to make can support design specifications such as when and how should which agents interact (cooperate and/or compete) to successfully meet their design objectives. The following items are discussed: […]