1. Communication in Multi-Agent Systems

2. Procedural Reasoning System
rational reasoning
autonomy, proactiveness, reactiveness, social ability
communication based on human speech
prs Georgeff + Lansky 1987
Autonomie, Eigeninitiative/proaktives Verhalten, reaktives Verhalten, Sozialkompetenz/Fähigkeit zur Kooperation
^^ Wooldridge + Jennings 1995

3. Speech Act Theory type content performative verb / illucutionary force
type of action
representatives, directives, commissives
content
propositional content / perlocutionary force
sat Austin Searle 1969
Aussagen stellen eine Handlung dar

4. Communication Languages
Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language (KQML)
FIPA Agent Communication Language (ACL)
no communication in original AgentSpeak
.send and .broadcast
kqml Labrou + Finin 1994
foundation for intelligent physical agents
asl Rao 1996
ia Bordini et al. 2002

5. List of KQML performatives

6. Annotations
belief(arg)[source(percept)]

7. Annotations
belief(arg)[source(percept)] +belief(arg);

8. Annotations
belief(arg)[source(percept), source(self)]

9. Annotations
belief(arg)[source(percept), source(self)] -belief(arg);

10. Annotations
belief(arg)[source(percept)]

11. tell
inform about something
add expression to receiver’s belief base

12. tell inform about something add expression to receiver’s belief base… …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
+open(Door)[source(percept)] <-
.send(red, tell, open(Door)).

13. tell inform about something add expression to receiver’s belief base…
open(door2)[source(percept)] …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
+open(Door)[source(percept)] <-
.send(red, tell, open(Door)).

14. tell inform about something add expression to receiver’s belief base…
open(door2)[source(percept)] …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
open(door2)[source(silver)]
+open(Door)[source(percept)] <-
.send(red, tell, open(Door)).

15. untell retract previous statement
remove expression from receiver’s belief base

16. untell retract previous statement
remove expression from receiver’s belief base … …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
open(door2)[source(silver)]
+open(Door)[source(percept)] <-
.send(red, tell, open(Door)).
-open(Door)[source(percept)] <-
.send(red, untell, open(Door)).

17. untell retract previous statement
remove expression from receiver’s belief base … …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
+open(Door)[source(percept)] <-
.send(red, tell, open(Door)).
-open(Door)[source(percept)] <-
.send(red, untell, open(Door)).

18. achieve/unachieve directive tell other agent to do something
add intention
unachieve removes intention

19. achieve
.send(red, achieve, open(door1));

20. socAcc social acceptance function
agent
illocutionary force
propositional content
message is discarded if socAcc returns false

21. KQML Plans /* ---- achieve performatives ---- */ @kqmlReceivedAchieve
+!kqml_received(KQML_Sender_Var, achieve, KQML_Content_Var, KQML_MsgId)
<- .add_annot(KQML_Content_Var, source(KQML_Sender_Var), CA);
!!CA.
@kqmlReceivedUnAchieve[atomic]
+!kqml_received(KQML_Sender_Var, unachieve, KQML_Content_Var, KQML_MsgId)
<- .drop_desire(KQML_Content_Var).

22. askOne
retrieve one expression from the other agent’s belief base

23. askOne
retrieve one unifying expression from the other agent’s belief base (asynchronous) … …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
open(door2)[source(percept)]
.send(red, askOne, open(Door));

24. askOne
retrieve one unifying expression from the other agent’s belief base (asynchronous) …
open(door1)[source(red)] …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
open(door2)[source(percept)]
.send(red, askOne, open(Door));

25. askOne /* ---- ask performatives ---- */ @kqmlReceivedAskOne1
+!kqml_received(KQML_Sender_Var, askOne, KQML_Content_Var, KQML_MsgId)
<- ?KQML_Content_Var;
.send(KQML_Sender_Var, tell, KQML_Content_Var, KQML_MsgId).
[…]

26. askOne
retrieve one unifying expression from the other agent’s belief base (synchronous) … …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
open(door2)[source(percept)]
.send(red, askOne, open(Door), Reply);
Reply = open(Door);

27. askAll
retrieve all unifying expressions from the other agent’s belief base … …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
open(door2)[source(percept)]
.send(red, askAll, open(Door), Reply);

28. askAll
retrieve all unifying expressions from the other agent’s belief base … …
open(door1)[source(percept)]
open(door2)[source(percept)]
.send(red, askAll, open(Door), Reply);
[open(door1)[source(red)], open(door2)[source(red)]]

29. Sources
Rafael H. Bordini, Jomi Fred Hübner, Michael Wooldridge: programming multi-agent systems in AgentSpeak using Jason
Renata Vieira, Alvaro Moreira, Michael Wooldridge, Rafael H. Bordini: On the Formal Semantics of Speech-Act Based Communication in an Agent-Oriented Programming Language
Specification of the KQML Agent-Communication Language
FIPA 97 Specification Part 2 Agent Communication Language