Experiments in multi-agent system dynamics

Abstract

This paper describes the results of a short programme of experiments investigating the dynamic behaviour of systems of coupled agents. The systems investigated are composed of small numbers of simple agents, which respond to changes in each other's state. The mechanism used to determine the behaviour of individual agents is analogous to simple field theories in which the motion of particles is determined by a potential field. The agent potentials can be thought of as representing motivations such as fear, hunger and thirst. The experiments have confirmed that systems of coupled agents can produce interesting behavioural patterns even when the agents and their interactions are very simple. This line if research is in its early stages and it is still hard to see where it will lead, nevertheless some intriguing phenomena that look worthy of further investigation have already been observed.