Mediated agent interaction

Abstract

This paper presents a framework for agent communication and its mediation by technological systems. The goal of the framework is to provide quantitative mechanisms that will allow principled decisions to be made about the use and construction of mediating technological systems. Beginning with a simple model of interaction between agents, a model of communication influenced by bounded knowledge of others (or common ground) is developed. This leads to predictions that agent interactions generate equilibrium phenomena where optimal levels of grounding emerge over time between agents.