Software Engineering for Multi-Agent Systems III: Research Issues and Practical Applications (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 3390)

This book presents a coherent and well-balanced survey of recent advances in software engineering approaches to the design and analysis of realistic large-scale multi-agent systems (MAS). The chapters included are devoted to various techniques and methods used to cope with the complexity of real-world MAS. The power of agent-based software engineering is illustrated using examples that are representative of successful applications. The 16 thoroughly reviewed and revised full papers are organized in topical sections on agent methodologies and processes, requirements engineering and software architectures, modeling languages, and dependability and coordination. Most of the papers were initially presented at the 3rd International Workshop on Software Engineering for Large-Scale Multi-agent Systems, SELMAS 2004, held in Edinburgh, UK in May 2004 in association with ICSE 2004. Other papers were invited to complete coverage of all relevant aspects. Front Matter....Pages - From Object-Oriented to Agent-Oriented Software Engineering Methodologies....Pages 1-18 MASUP: An Agent-Oriented Modeling Process for Information Systems....Pages 19-35 Composition of a New Process to Meet Agile Needs Using Method Engineering....Pages 36-51 A Generative Approach for Multi-agent System Development....Pages 52-69 A Social-Driven Design of e-Business System....Pages 70-84 Systematic Integration Between Requirements and Architecture....Pages 85-103 Integrating Free-Flow Architectures with Role Models Based on Statecharts....Pages 104-120 Aspectizing Multi-agent Systems: From Architecture to Implementation....Pages 121-143 CAMLE: A Caste-Centric Agent-Oriented Modelling Language and Environment....Pages 144-161 A Formal Approach for the Modelling and Verification of Multiagent Plans Based on Model Checking and Petri Nets....Pages 162-179 Specification of Role-Based Interactions Components in Multi-agent Systems....Pages 180-197 The ANote Modeling Language for Agent-Oriented Specification....Pages 198-212 A Software Framework for Automated Negotiation....Pages 213-235 Efficient Agent Communication in Multi-agent Systems....Pages 236-253 Adaptive Access Control in Coordination-Based Mobile Agent Systems....Pages 254-271 Separation of Concerns for Mechatronic Multi-agent Systems Through Dynamic Communities....Pages 272-289 Back Matter....Pages - "This book presents a coherent and well-balanced survey of recent advances in software engineering approaches to the design and analysis of realistic large-scale multi-agent systems (MAS). The chapters included are devoted to various techniques and methods used to cope with the complexity of real-world MAS. The power of agent-based software engineering is illustrated using examples that are representative of successful applications."--Jacket Interest in the creation of appropriate software engineering methodologies for supporting the development of agent-oriented (AO) software systems has shown a rapid increase recently.