E-raamat: Agent Technology from a Formal Perspective

Explores some of the key issues related to agent technology from a formal perspective, following the overwhelming response to the timely FAABS workshops in this interdisciplinary field. All papers have been updated, expanded or represent new research and aim to provide a more in-depth treatment of the topic.The intended audience is:1. Researchers & practitioners of formal methods. For the researchers, this book gives an introduction to agent-based systems and an overview of research being undertaken in applying formal methods to agent-based systems.This book provides formal methods practitioners with an introduction to agent-based systems and gives them an in-depth look into some of the formal methods research being undertaken that is related to agent-based & distributed intelligent systems as well as formal methods tools and approaches being used in this area.2. Researchers & practitioners of agent-based systems. It provides an introduction to formal methods and examples of research that is being conducted in formal approaches to agent-based systems. It gives examples of how others have applied formal methods to agent-based systems as well as formal method tools and techniques that they can apply to their own systems. It also illustrates why it is non-trivial to perform verification and validation of these types of systems.

The field of agent & multi-agent systems is experiencing tremendous growth whilst that of formal methods has also blossomed. The FAABS (Formal Approaches to Agent-Based Systems) workshops, merging the concerns of the two fields, were thus timely. This book has arisen from the overwhelming response to FAABS '00, '02 & '04 and all chapters are updated or represent new research, & are designed to provide a more in-depth treatment of the topic. Examples of how others have applied formal methods to agent-based systems are included, plus formal method tools & techniques that readers can apply to their own systems.Agent Technology from a Formal Perspective provides an in-depth view of the key issues related to agent technology from a formal perspective. As this is a relatively new interdisciplinary field, there is enormous room for further growth and this book not only creates an initial foundation, but points to the gaps; indicating open problems to be addressed by future researchers, students & practitioners.