Foundations of Agents

Agent World Agent Definitions Agent’s Properties Classification of Agents Agent Autonomy Concurrent Programming

Agent World

Agent Definitions No concensus definition An agent is a computatioal entity which –Acts on behalf of a person or other entities in an autonomous fashion –Performs its action with some level of proactivite and/or reactiveness –Exhibits some level of the key attributes of learning, cooperation and mobility

Properties Autonomous Interactive Adaptive Sociable Mobile Proxy Reactive Proactive

Properties Intelligent Rational Unpredictable Temporally Continuous Learning Coordinative Cooperative Competitive Trustworthy

Classification of Agents

Autonomy Absolute Autonomy Social Autonomy Interface Autonomy Execution Autonomy Design Autonomy

Concurrent Programming Computing System Processes Threads Synchronization Examples

Computing System

Processes A process is program code that is in some state of execution. It has own address space, some or all of which are mapped by the OS into main memory. It has a single Thread or Flow of control.

Processor Single processor machine –Multitasking –MultiThreading –Concurrent Programming Multi-processor machine –Parallel Programming

Threads class A extends Thread { public void run() {...} } Class A implements Runnable { public void run() {...} } Main program: A a = new A(); a.start();

Thread methods To stop a thread: –Interrupt() To block a thread: –sleep(millisecond) –wait() –join()