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Sharing Metainformation to Guide Cooperative Search Among Heterogeneous Reusable Agents
March-April 1997 (vol. 9 no. 2)
pp. 193-208
ASCII Text
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Susan E. Lander, Victor R. Lesser, "Sharing Metainformation to Guide Cooperative Search Among Heterogeneous Reusable Agents," IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 193-208, March-April, 1997.
 
 
BibTex
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@article{ 10.1109/69.591446,
author = {Susan E. Lander and Victor R. Lesser},
title = {Sharing Metainformation to Guide Cooperative Search Among Heterogeneous Reusable Agents},
journal ={IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering},
volume = {9},
number = {2},
issn = {1041-4347},
year = {1997},
pages = {193-208},
doi = {http://doi.ieeecomputersociety.org/10.1109/69.591446},
publisher = {IEEE Computer Society},
address = {Los Alamitos, CA, USA},
}
 
 
RefWorks Procite/RefMan/Endnote
x 
 
TY - JOUR
JO - IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering
TI - Sharing Metainformation to Guide Cooperative Search Among Heterogeneous Reusable Agents
IS - 2
SN - 1041-4347
SP193
EP208
EPD - 193-208
A1 - Susan E. Lander,
A1 - Victor R. Lesser,
PY - 1997
KW - Reusable agents
KW - information (knowledge) sharing
KW - distributed search
KW - multiagent systems
KW - system performance
KW - mechanical design
KW - distributed artificial intelligence.
VL - 9
JA - IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering
ER -
 

Abstract—A reusable agent is a self-contained computational system that implements some specific expertise and that can be embedded into diverse applications requiring that expertise. Systems composed of heterogeneous reusable agents are potentially highly adaptable, maintainable, and affordable, assuming that integration issues such as information sharing, coordination, and conflict management can be effectively addressed. In this article, we investigate sharing metalevel search information to improve system performance, specifically with respect to how sharing affects the quality of solutions and the runtime efficiency of a reusable-agent system. We first give a formal description of shareable metainformation in systems where agents have private knowledge and databases and where agents are specifically intended to be reusable. We then present and analyze experimental results from a mechanical design system for steam condensers that demonstrate performance improvements related to information sharing and assimilation. Finally, we discuss the practical benefits and limitations of information sharing in application systems comprising heterogeneous reusable agents. Issues of pragmatic interest include determining what types of information can realistically be shared and determining when the costs of sharing outweigh the benefits.

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Index Terms:
Reusable agents, information (knowledge) sharing, distributed search, multiagent systems, system performance, mechanical design, distributed artificial intelligence.
Citation:
Susan E. Lander, Victor R. Lesser, "Sharing Metainformation to Guide Cooperative Search Among Heterogeneous Reusable Agents," IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 193-208, March-April 1997, doi:10.1109/69.591446
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