Interest-based negotiation in multi-agent systems
Iyad Rahwan · MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) · 2004
Software systems involving autonomous interacting software entities (or agents) present new challenges in computer science and software engineering.A particularly challenging problem is the engineering of various forms of interaction among agents.Interaction may be aimed at enabling agents to coordinate their activities, cooperate to reach common objectives, or exchange resources to better achieve their individual objectives.This thesis is concerned with negotiation: a process through which multiple self-interested agents can reach agreement over the exchange of scarce resources.In particular, I focus on settings where agents have limited or uncertain information, precluding them from making optimal individual decisions.I demonstrate that this form of bounded-rationality may lead agents to sub-optimal negotiation agreements.I argue that rational dialogue based on the exchange of arguments can enable agents to overcome this problem.Since agents make decisions based on particular underlying reasons, namely their interests, beliefs and planning knowledge, then rational dialogue over these reasons can enable agents to refine their individual decisions and consequently reach better agreements.I refer to this form of interaction as "interested-based negotiation."The contributions of the thesis begin with a conceptual and formal framework for interest-based negotiation among computational agents.Then, an exploration of the differences between this approach and the more traditional bargaining-based approaches is presented.Strategic issues are then explored and a methodology for designing negotiation strategies is developed.Finally, the applicability of the framework is explored through a pilot application that makes use of interest-based negotiation in order to support cooperative activity among mobile users.iii "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."Paolo Coelho, 'The Alchemist' Perhaps unsurprisingly, doing a Ph.D. is like going through hardship; it bonds you with those people who, in the midst of all your random wandering, help you, support you, listen to you, care about you, pat on your back, provide you with directions, or simply, love you.These people deserve a great deal of credit, because the thesis would not have come to existence without them.My greatest gratitude goes to my family.I thank my mother, Alaa Baaj, who taught me principle, determination, morality and the importance of reason.I thank her for patiently answering my childhood questions, sometimes giving up her resting time in order to do so.I thank my father, Ahmad Rahwan, who always ignited my intellectual curiosity, and who supported me, despite the enormous financial difficulty, on my travel adventure to Australia five years ago.And I thank him for teaching me the value of being open to new people, cultures, and ideas, which I consider to be an essential precondition of