Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca
Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science
Study Cycle: Master

SUBJECT

Code
Subject
MII1001 Cooperative Intelligent Agents
Section
Semester
Hours: C+S+L
Category
Type
Intelligent Systems - in English
3
2+1+0
speciality
compulsory
Modeling and Simulation - in English
3
2+1+0
speciality
compulsory
Teaching Staff in Charge
Assoc.Prof. CZIBULA Gabriela, Ph.D.,  gabiscs.ubbcluj.ro
Aims
To introduce the student a new field of Artificial Intelligence - Distributed AI.
To allow a comparative approach of theoretical aspects in distributed and classic AI.
To present the field of Intelligent Agents as a new research and application domain of Artificial Intelligence.
To induce the necessity of DAI through the study of relevant industrial and practical applications.
To present some “elementary” intelligent activities and how are they achieved by cooperative agents in multiagent systems.
Content
1. Introduction
- Distributed Artificial Intelligence
- The concept of agent and intelligent agent
2. Intelligent Agents
- Definitions, properties, taxonomies
- Abstract and concrete architectures for intelligent agents
- Software agents
- Mobile agents, interface agents
- Application domains
- Agents and Objects
- Agents and Expert Systems
- Agent based software engineering
3. Multiagent systems and societies of agents
- Coordination, cooperation, communication - protocols
- Negotiation
- Communication languages between agents
- KQML, FIPA-ACL
4. Applications of agents and multiagent systems
- Intelligent agents in e-business and e-commerce
- Intelligent agents in e-banking
- Intelligent agents for Distributed Data Mining
- Information agents
- Intelligent agents in software engineering
- Ant systems
5. Distributed constraint satisfaction problems
- The problem
- The Hyperesolution based conistency algorithm
- Asynchronous backtracking
6. Distributed path finding problems
- Asynchronous dynamic programming
- Learning Real Time A*
- Bidirectional search algorithm
- Real time multiagent search algorithm
7. Two player games
- The problem
- The Minimax search procedure
- Minimax with alpha-beta pruning
8. Learning in multiagent systems
- Types of learning
- Cooperative learning in multiagent systems
- Team learning
- Concurrent learning
- Application domains for multiagent learning
9. Practical applications of Distributed Artificial Intelligence
- Where in the products life cycle can be used agents
- The advantages of using agents
- Methodologies for developing agent based applications
References
1. SERBAN, GABRIELA: Sisteme multiagent in Inteligenta Artificiala Distribuita. Arhitecturi si aplicatii. Ed. RisoPrint, Cluj-Napoca, 2006
2. SERBAN, GABRIELA, POP, H.F., Tehnici de Inteligenţă Artificială. Abordări bazate pe Agenţi Inteligenţi, Ed. Mediamira, Cluj-Napoca, 2004
3. WEISS, GERHARD (Ed.): Multiagent Systems: A Modern Approach to Distributed Artificial Intelligence, MIT Press, 1999.
4. RUSSELL, J.S, NORVIG, P., Artificial Intelligence- A Modern Approach, Prentice- Hall, Inc., New Jersey, 1995
5. Sutton, R.S., Barto, A.G., Reinforcement learning, The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England, 1998
6. WOOLDRIDGE, MICHAEL: Agent-Based Software Engineering. London: Mitsubishi Electric Digital Library Group, 1997.
7. SHOHAM, YOAV: Agent-oriented programming. Artificial Intelligence. 60(1), 1993, pp.51-92.
Assessment
The activity ends with a written final exam (grade E). During the semester, the students will have to prepare a theoretical report (grade R) and a practical project that will have to illustrate the importance of using intelligent agents on a specific task (grade P). The seminar activity will also be graded (grade L). The students activity during the semester will be also considered (grade A). The final grade is the weighted mean of the five grades mentioned above. The final grade = 40%E + 20%R + 15%L + 15%P + 10%A. Students who demonstrate excellent research performance by developing the project to publication will get an extra score of 10% from the final grade. Successful passing of the exam is conditioned by the final grade that has to be at least 5. More about the evaluation can be found at http://www.cs.ubbcluj.ro/~gabis/cerinte/Req_CIA.htm.
Links: Syllabus for all subjects
Romanian version for this subject
Rtf format for this subject