Reasoning about the dynamics of social behaviour

ABSTRACT

In this paper a formal analysis of the behaviour of social agents that can be individual (BDI) agents or aggregations of agents is presented. The central idea is that stability and regulation of activity within a multi-agent system can be accounted for by means of a complex web of roles, commitments, obligations and rights. In particular, commitments are considered to be the attitudes that hold a group of agents together. In pursuit of their own objectives as well as in order to support their collective commitments, agents adopt roles and undertake social commitments. Being semi-autonomous they may decide to drop their commitments and roles, but they may have to bear the consequences of the other agents' prerogative to exercise their rights.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
        I.2.11 Distributed Artificial Intelligence
            Subjects: Multiagent systems

Additional Classification:
  F. Theory of Computation
  F.4 MATHEMATICAL LOGIC AND FORMAL LANGUAGES
      F.4.1 Mathematical Logic
          Subjects: Modal logic

General Terms:
Theory

Keywords:
BDI agents, modal logic, social interaction