Informing regulatory dynamics in open MASs

Abstract

We believe that, in the near future, all multi-agent systems (MASs) will be open, permitting agents to migrate among MASs to obtain resources or services not found locally. In this scenario, open MASs should be enhanced with norms for restricting agents' actions and, thus, avoiding unexpected behavior. In this work, we present a case study where an open MAS is enhanced with contextual norms. Agents from this MAS are continuously supported with precise norm information, according to their contexts (implicit situational information) and, then, can make better decisions. Although the presented case study is simple, it clearly shows different levels of norm abstractions and how agents can be influenced by norms while acting in a regulated open MASs. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.