Seminar: Sascha Ossowski, "An organization-oriented approach to coordination in multi-agent systems" (3/31/2009)

Abstract: It is commonly accepted that coordination is a key characteristic of multi-agent systems and that, in turn, the capability of coordinating with others constitutes a centerpiece of agenthood. However, the key elements of coordination models, mechanisms, and languages for multi-agent systems are still subject to considerable debate. In this talk, I will examine different stances on coordination, and outline various research issues related to coordination in multi-agent systems. In particular, I will provide several examples of the benefits of using an organization-oriented approach towards the problem. I will then show how this perspective fits into current efforts working towards a paradigm for next-generation distributed systems, where coordination is based on the concept of agreement between computational agents.

Bio:  Sascha Ossowski is the Director of the Centre for Intelligent Information Technologies (CETINIA) at University Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid. He obtained his MSc degree in Informatics from the University of Oldenburg (Germany) in 1993, and received a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the Technical University of Madrid in 1997. He is holding several research grants in the field of advanced software systems, funded by the European Commission and the Spanish Government. He has more than 100 research papers to his name, focusing on the application of Artificial Intelligence techniques to real world problems such as transportation management, m-Health, or e-Commerce. Recently, Sascha has been active in the field of co-ordination mechanisms for agents and services, as well as models of trust and regulation in virtual organizations.