Coordination and Agreement in Multi-Agent Systems

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 centrepiece of agenthood. However, the key elements of coordination models, mechanisms, and languages for multi-agent systems are still subject to considerable debate. This paper provides a brief overview of different approaches to coordination in multi-agent systems. It will then show how these approaches relate to current efforts working towards a paradigm for smart, next-generation distributed systems, where coordination is based on the concept of agreement between computational agents.