Experiments with planning and markets in multiagent systems

ABSTRACT

Mobile devices are hand-held devices used to deliver time sensitive and locale specific information to the users. Users of multi-user environments with limited resources can be enabled with agents running on mobile devices as assistants to improve their ability to plan activities in the space. This paper discusses experiments to characterize the benefits of planning in such an environment, particularly when the resources can be reserved and the reservations traded in a market. We observe that with tradable reservations the social welfare increases with increase in planning horizon. We also observe that tradable reservations and clairvoyance help the users satisfy their preferences and the constraints imposed by environment.

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INDEX TERMS

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

Additional Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.3 SPECIAL-PURPOSE AND APPLICATION-BASED SYSTEMS
      Subjects: Real-time and embedded systems

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY
      K.4.4 Electronic Commerce

General Terms:
Design, Economics, Experimentation, Management, Theory

Keywords:
trading agents