Abstract
Coordination is one of the fundamental research issues in distributed artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems. Current multi-agent coalition formation methods present two major problems. First, some of these methods can be applied only to cooperative multi-agent systems; second, the algorithms proposed may fail in the formation of the coalitions. This article proposes two methods for problems of agent coalition formation in cooperative and non-cooperative multi-agent systems. These methods are based on agent preference models and on preference aggregation using the Choquet integral. Our first method based on the evolutionary system design (ESD) methodology proposed by M. Shakun is required for competitive multi-agent systems, whereas our second method is powerful for cooperative multi-agent systems where the agents can exchange their information.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aknine, S. (2000) “Multi-agent Coordination Models and Methods,” PhD. Thesis, Paris-Dauphine University, France (in French Language).
Aknine, S., Pinson, S., Shakun, M. F. (2000). “Coalition Formation Methods for Multi-Agent Coordination Problems,” Group Decision and Negotiation, Glasgow, July.
Aknine, S., Pinson, S., Shakun, M. F. (2000). “Méthodes de Coordination Multi-agent par Formation de Coalitions,” in Pesty, S. Sayetta, C. (Eds.), Systèmes Multi-agents, Ingénierie, Technologie, Expérimentations, Hermès, 149-161.
Aknine, S. (1999). “An Algorithm for Multi-agent Coalition Formation,” in M. Kokar (Ed.), 14th IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control, Intelligent Systems, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, September, 142-147.
Anacleto, J., Coelho, H., Pinson, S. (1996). “Forming Coalitions in Task Oriented Multi-agent Systems,” Workshop on DAI/MAS, associated to IBERAMIA — First Ibero-American Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Mexico, October.
Caillou, P., Aknine, S., Pinson, S. (2002). “A Multi-Agent Method for Forming and Dynamic Restructuring of Pareto Optimal Coalitions,” in AAMAS, International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-agent Systems, Bologna, Italy, July, paper to appear.
Chandon, J. L. and Pinson, S. (1981). Analyse Typologique, Théories et Applications, Masson, Paris.
Chandon, J. L. and Vincke, P. (1981). “La Modélisation des Preferences,” P. Batteau, E. Jacquet-Lagrèze, and B. Monjardet, (Eds.), Analyse et Agrégation des Preferences, Economica, Paris.
Derk, J. M. and Gilles, R. P. (1995). “Hierarchical Organization Structures and Constraints on Coalition Formation,” International Journal of Game Theory 95, 147-163.
Ferreira, J.L. (1999). “Endogenous Formation of Coalitions in Noncooperative Games,” Games and Economic Behavior, V. 26(1).
Fischer, K., Muller, J. P., Pischel. M. (1996). “Scheduling an Application Domain for DAI,” Applied Artificial Intelligence, An International Journal, 10, 1-33.
Gilles, R. P., Owen, G., Brink, R. V. D. (1992). “Game with Permission Structures: The Conjonctive Approach,” International Journal of Game Theory 20, 277-293.
Grabisch, M. (1995). “Fuzzy Integral in Multi-criteria Decision Making,” Fuzzy Set and Systems, 69.
Grabisch, M. (1996). “The Application of Fuzzy Integrals in Multi-criteria Decision Making,” European Journal of Operational Research, 89.
Harsanyi, J. C. (1956). “Approaches to the Bargaining Problem Before and After the Theory of Games: A Critical Discussion of Zeuthen’s, Hick’s and Nash Theories,” Econometrica.
Ketchpel, (1993). “Coalition Formation Among Autonomous Agents,” C. Castelfranchi and J. P. Muller, (Eds.), From Reaction to Cognition.
Ketchpel, S. (1994). “Forming Coalitions in the face of uncertain rewards,” Nati. Conf. AI, AAAI.
Klusch, M. (1996). “Utilitarian Coalition Formation between Autonomous Agents for Cooperative Information Gathering,” in S. Kirn and G. O’Hare (Eds.), “Cooperative Knowledge Processing,” Chapter 13, London: Springer Verlag.
Klusch, M., Shehory, O. (1996a). “Coalition Formation Among Rational Information Agents,” W. Van De Velde and W. Perram (Eds.), Agents Breaking Away, LNAI, Springer Verlag.
Klusch, M., Shehory, O. (1996b). “A Polynomial Kernel-Oriented Coalition Formation Algorithm for Rational Information Agents,” M. Tokoro, (Ed.), International Conference on Multi-agent Systems.
Lerman, K. and Shehory, O. (2000). “Coalition Formation for Large-Scale Electronic Markets,” ICMAS.
Luce, R. D. and Raiffa, H. (1957). Games and Decisions, New York Wiley.
Nash, J. F. (1950). “The bargaining Problem,” Econometrica.
Raiffa, H. (1982). The Art and Science of Negotiation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
Roth, A. E. (1979). Axiomatic Models of Bargaining, Berlin/New York, Springer-Verlag.
Roubens, M. and Vincke, P. (1985). Preference Modelling, Lecture Notes on Economic and Mathematical Systems, New York/Berlin, Springer Verlag, p. 250.
Sandholm, T. (1993). “An Implementation of the Contract Net Protocol based on Marginal Cost Calculations,” 11th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, AAAI.
Sandholm, T. and Lesser, V. (1995). Coalition Formation Among Bounded Rational Agents, IJCAI’95.
Sandholm, T. and Lesser, V. (1997). Coalitions among Computationally Bounded Agents. AI, Artificial Intelligence, Artificial Intelligence.
Sandholm, T. (1998). Agents in Electronic Commerce: Component Technologies for Automated Negotiation and Coalition Formation, ATAL, Springer.
Sandholm, T., Larson, K., Andersson, M., Shehory, O., Tohmé, F. (1999). Coalition Structure Generation with Worst Case Guarantees, AI, 111(1-2).
Shakun, M. F. (1996). “Modeling and Supporting Task-Oriented Group Processes: Purposeful Complex Adaptive Systems and Evolutionary Systems Design,” Group Decision and Negotiation Journal, 5(4-6).
Shakun, M. F. (1988) Evolutionary Systems Design: Policy Making Under Complexity and Group Decision Support Systems, Oakland, CA: Holden-Day.
Shehory, O. and Kraus, S. (1995). “Task Allocation via Coalition Formation Among Autonomous Agents,” IJCAI’95, Montréal.
Shehory, O. and Kraus, S. (1996) Formation of Overlapping Coalitions for Precedence-Ordred Task-Execution Among Autonomous Agents, ICMAS’96, Kyoto, Japan,.
Shehory, O. and Kraus, S. (1998). “Methods for Task Allocation via Coalition Formation, Artificial Intelligence.
Shehory, O., Sycara, K. and Jha, S. (1997). “Multi-agent Coordination Through Coalition Formation,” M. Singh, A. Rao and M. Wooldridge (eds.), Intelligent Agents IV: ATAL, Springer, Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence.
Sichman, J. (1998). “DEPINT: Dependence-Based Coalition Formation in an Open Multi-Agent Scenario,” Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 1(2).
Smith, R. G., Davis, R. (1981). “Frameworks for co-operation in Distributed Problem Solving,” IEEE Transaction on System Man and Cybernetics 11(1).
Tsvetovat, M., Sycara, K., Chen and Y. Ying, J. (2000). “Customer Coalitions in the Electronic Marketplace,” Agents 2000 Conference, Barcelona, Spain.
Van Deemen, M. A. (1997). “Coalition Formation and Social Choice,” Mathematical Programming and Operations Research, Vol. 19.
Van Der Linden W. J. and Verbeek, A. (1985). “Coalition Formation: A Game-Theoretic Approach,” in H. A. M. Wilke, (Ed.), Coalition Formation Advances in Psychology, Vol. 24, Amsterdam.
Von Neumann, J. and Morgenstern, O. (1947) Theory of Games and Economic Behavior, 2nd édition, lew York Wiley.
Zeuthen, F. (1930). Problems of Monopoly and Economic Walfare. London: Routledge, G., Sons.
Zlotkin, G. and Rosenschein, J. (1994). “Coalition, Cryptography and Stability: Mechanisms for Coalition Formation Task Oriented Domains,” AAAI’94, Seattle, WA.
Zlotkin, G. and Rosenschein, J. (1996). “Mechanisms for Automated Negotiation in State Oriented Domains,” Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research 5.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Aknine, S., Pinson, S. & Shakun, M.F. A Multi-Agent Coalition Formation Method Based on Preference Models. Group Decis Negot 13, 513–538 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-005-3074-5
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-005-3074-5