Agent and Multi-Agent Software Engineering: Modelling, Programming, and Verification Extended Abstract for a Course at DALT Spring School 2011
Rafael H. Bordini · Declarative Agent Languages and Technologies · 2011
In this extended abstract, I shall briefly describe the course I gave at the DALT International Spring School that took place at the University Residential Centre in Bertinoro, Italy, in April 2011. Before I do so, I feel compelled to say, although this was supposed to be a technical paper, that participating in that School was the most fabulous experience of my academic career. I attended many conferences and summer schools over the last decade, and in particular all the summer schools were incredible experiences, but none matched that of the DALT School in Bertinoro. The University Centre is located in an astounding medieval castle, where even Dante stayed for some time. The castle is at the top of a hill and the views from the castle where we were also accommodated are just breathtaking. The food was excellent and the people involved at all levels incredibly friendly; the organisation was impeccable. Of course just atmosphere does not make an academic event that memorable. Perhaps because this was the most specific summer school I ever attend in regards to the topics covered, which allowed the courses to go into much more depth than usual, but certainly not only because of that but also other factors such as the particular combination of people in that School, that was definitely the most technically productive school I ever attended. All the attendants cannot possibly thank enough the organisers for the amazing experience they created for us. Unfortunately, nothing is perfect. As memorable as the school was, I will never be able to forget the suffering it was to walk up those extremely steep hills either. The course was commissioned by the School organisers with the specific title “Agent and Multi-Agent Software Engineering: Modelling, Programming, and Verification”. I liked the title for various reasons. First because it makes explicit the move from single to multi agent that is an important development in agent programming languages. Second because it covers two areas that have been at the centre of my research over many years: programming and verification of multiagent systems. Modelling is not an area I have contributed to significantly, so I used less time of the course for this part. It consisted simply of mentioning a selection of the best-known methodologies for agent-oriented software engineering as well as an overview of key concepts in modelling multi-agent systems. That