Regulated Open Multi-Agent Systems

Many modern software systems are open: varied autonomous actors and institutions share the same space, operating within a dense social and legal framework that can itself change, while stakeholders pursue goals that frequently conflict. This book tackles the unresolved question of how to engineer such normative open systems using the multi-agent paradigm.

ROMAS, short for Regulated Open Multi-Agent Systems, is presented as a complete software engineering approach covering both analysis and design. It defines its own multi-agent architecture, meta-model, methodology and CASE tool. The tool is built on model-driven technology and pairs graphical design with model checking, which verifies selected properties of the system.

The key requirements for designing normative open multi-agent systems are gathered into tables for easy reference. The ROMAS approach and its advantages are explained in clear, accessible detail. Case studies show the method applied to concrete problems, with illustrations of the resulting developments.

Readers will gain an understanding of the growing need for normative open systems and what their development demands, along with how multi-agent techniques can address that work. The book offers an accessible yet thorough engineering method for large, complex normative systems and shows how model-driven technology can connect analysis, design, verification and implementation of multi-agent systems.