Multi-Agent Coordination

A timely guide using iterative learning control (ILC) as a solution for multi-agent systems (MAS) challenges, showcasing recent advances and industrially relevant applications Explores the synergy between the important topics of iterative learning control (ILC) and multi-agent systems (MAS) Concisely summarizes recent advances and significant applications in ILC methods for power grids, sensor networks and control processes Covers basic theory, rigorous mathematics as well as engineering practice

The book begins with a chapter on traditional methods of supervised learning, covering recursive least squares learning, mean square error methods, and stochastic approximation. Chapter 2 covers single agent reinforcement learning. Topics include learning value functions, Markov games, and TD learning with eligibility traces. Chapter 3 discusses two player games including two player matrix games with both pure and mixed strategies. Numerous algorithms and examples are presented. Chapter 4 covers learning in multi-player games, stochastic games, and Markov games, focusing on learning multi-player grid games—two player grid games, Q-learning, and Nash Q-learning. Chapter 5 discusses differential games, including multi player differential games, actor critique structure, adaptive fuzzy control and fuzzy interference systems, the evader pursuit game, and the defending a territory games. Chapter 6 discusses new ideas on learning within robotic swarms and the innovative idea of the evolution of personality traits. • Framework for understanding a variety of methods and approaches in multi-agent machine learning. • Discusses methods of reinforcement learning such as a number of forms of multi-agent Q-learning • Applicable to research professors and graduate students studying electrical and computer engineering, computer science, and mechanical and aerospace engineering

Knowledge management has become an important topic for the theory and practice of organisation management. Knowledge Coordination argues that coordination is a key factor for managing knowledge within organisations. By offering a clearcut conceptualisation of knowledge, it fills an important gap in the literature on knowledge management. Based on the authors' rational reconstruction of knowledge coordination for knowledge management, this text identifies techniques and conceptual tools to build systemic solutions to improve on corporate operational efficacy. Contrasts business strategies, and presents and discusses the tools to implement management systems based on each of the different strategies. Among these tools, the authors discuss ontological engineering, communities of practice and an original conceptual tool called Structure of Capability Providers. Covers topics including: Intelligent Agents for Knowledge Modelling Artificial Intelligence Ontologies Managing Capabilities Assessing Knowledge Coordination It will be highly popular with academic and industrial researchers who need to understand the current thinking in research of knowledge management. In addition it is aimed at senior undergraduate and postgraduate students in computer science and Information Technology and in particular researchers in knowledge engineering, artificial intelligence and agent based systems. Management and business professionals and those dealing with IT systems design and implementation will also find it useful.

A comprehensive review of the state of the art in the control of multi-agent systems theory and applications The superiority of multi-agent systems over single agents for the control of unmanned air, water and ground vehicles has been clearly demonstrated in a wide range of application areas. Their large-scale spatial distribution, robustness, high scalability and low cost enable multi-agent systems to achieve tasks that could not successfully be performed by even the most sophisticated single agent systems. Cooperative Control of Multi-Agent Systems: Theory and Applications provides a wide-ranging review of the latest developments in the cooperative control of multi-agent systems theory and applications. The applications described are mainly in the areas of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). Throughout, the authors link basic theory to multi-agent cooperative control practice – illustrated within the context of highly-realistic scenarios of high-level missions – without losing site of the mathematical background needed to provide performance guarantees under general working conditions. Many of the problems and solutions considered involve combinations of both types of vehicles. Topics explored include target assignment, target tracking, consensus, stochastic game theory-based framework, event-triggered control, topology design and identification, coordination under uncertainty and coverage control. Establishes a bridge between fundamental cooperative control theory and specific problems of interest in a wide range of applications areas Includes example applications from the fields of space exploration, radiation shielding, site clearance, tracking/classification, surveillance, search-and-rescue and more Features detailed presentations of specific algorithms and application frameworks with relevant commercial and military applications Provides a comprehensive look at the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field, while offering informed speculation on future directions for collective control systems The use of multi-agent system technologies in both everyday commercial use and national defense is certain to increase tremendously in the years ahead, making this book a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and applied mathematicians working in systems and controls, as well as advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in those areas.

Building on the pioneering work in supramolecular chemistry from the last 20 years or so, this monograph addresses new and recent approaches to anion coordination chemistry. Synthesis of receptors, biological receptors and metallareceptors, the energetics of anion binding, molecular structures of anion complexes, sensing devices are presented and computational studies addressed to aid with the understanding of the different driving forces responsible for anion complexation. The reader is promised an actual picture of the state of the art for this exciting and constantly evolving field of supramolecular anion coordination chemistry. The topics range from ion channels to selective sensors, making it attractive to all researchers and PhD students with an interest in supramolecular chemistry.

A detailed and systematic introduction to the distributed cooperative control of multi-agent systems from a theoretical, network perspective Features detailed analysis and discussions on the distributed cooperative control and dynamics of multi-agent systems Covers comprehensively first order, second order and higher order systems, swarming and flocking behaviors Provides a broad theoretical framework for understanding the fundamentals of distributed cooperative control

A tactical guide to successful Virtual Design and Construction project coordination, featuring case studies from leading VDC firms. Virtual Design Coordination (VDC) employs information-rich Building Information Modeling (BIM) to enable specialty designers and contractors to create a single, coordinated set of designs that can prevent cost overruns, avoid schedule delays, and identify issues in the field. Although BIM-based design coordination is widely used in the commercial construction industry, there remains a need for a standardized practice. BIM for Design Coordination formalizes industry best practices and provides structured guidelines to the process. Helping readers gain the benefits of BIM-based design coordination, this practical guide covers areas such as setting up a project for success, model quality impacts on design coordination, carrying out a successful VDC session, and more. Specific guidelines for various project stakeholders are laid out in detail, while real-world examples of project design coordination workflows and templates for BIM Project Execution Plans (PxPs) are provided throughout the text. Written by a leading expert and educator in the field, this book: Provides a formal set of BIM-based design coordination guidelines that emphasize construction-stage coordination Features real-life case studies that illustrate how leading firms approach design coordination Covers BIM-based design coordination in other industries, such as infrastructure and industrial sectors Presents guidelines for all project stakeholders, including subcontractors, architects, engineers, fabricators, and owners Includes chapters on teaching BIM-based design coordination and the future of the field BIM for Design Coordination: A Virtual Design and Construction Guide for Designers, General Contractors, and MEP Subcontractors is a much-needed resource for general contractors and members of VDC teams, as well as academics, students, and professionals new to BIM-based design coordination.

At the crossroads of artificial intelligence, manufacturing engineering, operational research and industrial engineering and management, multi-agent based production planning and control is an intelligent and industrially crucial technology with increasing importance. This book provides a complete overview of multi-agent based methods for today’s competitive manufacturing environment, including the Job Shop Manufacturing and Re-entrant Manufacturing processes. In addition to the basic control and scheduling systems, the author also highlights advance research in numerical optimization methods and wireless sensor networks and their impact on intelligent production planning and control system operation. Enables students, researchers and engineers to understand the fundamentals and theories of multi-agent based production planning and control Written by an author with more than 20 years’ experience in studying and formulating a complete theoretical system in production planning technologies Fully illustrated throughout, the methods for production planning, scheduling and controlling are presented using experiments, numerical simulations and theoretical analysis Comprehensive and concise, Multi-Agent Based Production Planning and Control is aimed at the practicing engineer and graduate student in industrial engineering, operational research, and mechanical engineering. It is also a handy guide for advanced students in artificial intelligence and computer engineering.

At the heart of coordination chemistry lies the coordinate bond, in its simplest sense arising from donation of a pair of electrons from a donor atom to an empty orbital on a central metalloid or metal. Metals overwhelmingly exist as their cations, but these are rarely met ‘naked’ – they are clothed in an array of other atoms, molecules or ions that involve coordinate covalent bonds (hence the name coordination compounds). These metal ion complexes are ubiquitous in nature, and are central to an array of natural and synthetic reactions. Written in a highly readable, descriptive and accessible style Introduction to Coordination Chemistry describes properties of coordination compounds such as colour, magnetism and reactivity as well as the logic in their assembly and nomenclature. It is illustrated with many examples of the importance of coordination chemistry in real life, and includes extensive references and a bibliography. Introduction to Coordination Chemistry is a comprehensive and insightful discussion of one of the primary fields of study in Inorganic Chemistry for both undergraduate and non-specialist readers.

Jason is an Open Source interpreter for an extended version of AgentSpeak – a logic-based agent-oriented programming language – written in Java™. It enables users to build complex multi-agent systems that are capable of operating in environments previously considered too unpredictable for computers to handle. Jason is easily customisable and is suitable for the implementation of reactive planning systems according to the Belief-Desire-Intention (BDI) architecture. Programming Multi-Agent Systems in AgentSpeak using Jason provides a brief introduction to multi-agent systems and the BDI agent architecture on which AgentSpeak is based. The authors explain Jason’s AgentSpeak variant and provide a comprehensive, practical guide to using Jason to program multi-agent systems. Some of the examples include diagrams generated using an agent-oriented software engineering methodology particularly suited for implementation using BDI-based programming languages. The authors also give guidance on good programming style with AgentSpeak. Programming Multi-Agent Systems in AgentSpeak using Jason Describes and explains in detail the AgentSpeak extension interpreted by Jason and shows how to create multi-agent systems using the Jason platform. Reinforces learning with examples, problems, and illustrations. Includes two case studies which demonstrate the use of Jason in practice. Features an accompanying website that provides further learning resources including sample code, exercises, and slides This essential guide to AgentSpeak and Jason will be invaluable to senior undergraduate and postgraduate students studying multi-agent systems. The book will also be of interest to software engineers, designers, developers, and programmers interested in multi-agent systems.