7 - Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research

Coordination Model for Communication Among Agents in
Multi-Agent Based Intelligent Systems
Vinay Chavan 1 and Sanjay E. Yedey 2
Abstract
Autonomous Agents and Multi-agent systems(MAS) represent a new developing area
of research. Multi-agent concepts and methodologies are finding increasing
application in controlling complex, unpredictable systems in real time. The area of
intelligent manufacturing systems aims to use multi-agent systems. A Multi-Agent
System (MAS) is a system composed of a several autonomous agents, which
cooperate with each other to reach common objectives, while each agent pursues
individual objectives. In order for a MAS to solve common problems coherently, the
agents must communicate amongst themselves and coordinate their activities. A
collective social behavior emerges through this communication. Therefore theories of
agent societies are required which defines the world which hosts the society and the
laws ruling the world. An intelligent global behavior can emerge from a system. This
intelligence can not reside inside agents only but should somehow be spread among
the agents and the interaction space among them. Therefore MAS is consist of not
only the agents but also the abstractions supporting interactions.
Our aim in this paper is to point the most important theoretical concepts and practical
issues associated with the design of MAS and coordination model for agent
communication in Multi-agent systems. The coordination model presented as an
interaction abstraction aimed at globally ruling the behavior of different system
components. Two different types of coordination models, data-driven and controldriven
, are considered.
Keywords: Intelligent agents, Multi-agents, Communication, data-driven coordination,
control-driven coordination
1. Introduction
In MAS several autonomous agents cooperate with each other to reach collective goal,
while simultaneously each agent is responsible to meet its individual objectives. The
agents must communicate amongst themselves and coordinate their activities to achieve
common goals coherently in the given environment. It facilitates communication and
coordination through several rules and abstractions. There are different ways in which
agents coordinate each other. There are several coordination models defined which can be
broadly classified as: Data driven; and Control driven.
2. Theoretical Concepts
There are different definitions made by researchers for defining intelligent agents. One of
them is that ‘An agent is an autonomous entity which performs a given task using
information gathered from its environment to act in a suitable manner so as to
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1 Sr. Lecturer, Dept. comp. sci. and Tech, Porwal College, Kamti , Nagpur
2 Sr. Lecturer, P. G. Deptf Comp. Sci.and Tech., Shree Hanuman Vyayam prasarak Mandal,Amravati-
444605. Email : arc_san2000@yahoo.com
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