CSCE 475/875 Multiagent
Systems
Agents and multiagent systems are a norm now in industry and
academia, in both research and real applications. The technology is mature on one hand (with
solid theoretical background) and is fast evolving on the other (with high-tech
computing applications). Agent-based
solutions have become very powerful due to the advances we have had in
computing and networking in recent years, and will continue to be so for a long
while.
What are agents? What is a
multiagent system? Are agents simply
software modules? And is a multiagent
system simply a collection of software modules?
What do the agents have to do among them in order to form a multiagent
system? What are the advantages of
using agents? What are the advantages of
having a multiagent system? Why is it
such an important design paradigm in today’s IT world? Why is it such a popular methodology in
today’s problem solving? …
This class will answer the above questions and more as it takes a
broad and in-depth look at the area of multiagent systems (MAS). An intelligent agent is an autonomous
software program that lives in an environment, monitors the environment,
reasons about the events it observes, and acts in response to those events, and
subsequently changes the environment.
Such a program may exist on a computing device, be embedded in a robot,
or act on behalf of a user. It also has
various degrees of the following attributes: reasoning, communication,
learning, and mobility. A MAS is a
collection of such agents that may collaborate to solve a problem or set of
problems, or may be in an adversarial relationship in areas of limited resources. We will cover topics such as agents,
multiagent systems, distributed problem solving, search, decision making,
learning, logic, negotiations, SWARMS, and RoboCup in our lectures.
Grading is based on class participation, presentations, game days,
one examination, and a final project. The Game Days and the Fox-and-the-Hounds final project are
FUN! (Please see the CSE
Newsletter, volume 1, issue 1, page 6, “The Fox and The Hounds” for a
report.) The number of students
enrolled in the class will decide the actual syllabus of the class.
! Key Info
·
This
class counts as one of the Application track topics.
·
This
class has also been designated as an Integrative Studies (IS) class.
·
Class
times are 11:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. TR.
Classroom is at CBA 107.
·
Students
enrolling in this class should have had at least one class in Artificial Intelligence,
or receive permission from the instructor.
Minimum pre-requisite is CSCE 310.
·
Last offering: http://www.cse.unl.edu/~lksoh/Classes/CSCE496_896_Fall02/index.html
? Contact Info
Name: Prof. Leen-Kiat Soh E-mail: lksoh@cse.unl.edu
Phone: (402) 472-6738 Office: 256 Avery Hall