Equilibratory approach to distributed resource allocation: Toward coordinated balancing

Abstract

This paper presents a microeconomics-based equilibratory approach to a distributed resource allocation problem in a multi-agent system. In a multi-agent system, each agent has its own strategy to achieve its own objective. When a global objective function is given, a framework for reaching an overall desired state needs to be established. We call this type of framework Coordinated Balancing. Several microeconomic approaches previously proposed for resource allocation problems can be viewed as ways to achieve Coordinated Balancing. They include a cooperative approach, where agents cooperate with each other to achieve a global objective, and a competitive approach, where each agent tries to maximize its own utility. In contrast with these approaches, the proposed equilibratory approach reduces communication overhead by eliminating explicit cooperation and competition among agents. The proposed approach is evaluated through simulations where the global objective is to equalize resource utilizations.