Abstract:
Advanced approaches to the construction of software systems can present difficulties to learners. This is true for multi-agent systems (MAS) which exhibit concurrency, non-determinacy of structure and composition and sometimes emergent behavior characteristics. Additional barriers exist for learners in MAS because mainstream MAS technology is young and design methodologies are still evolving.
This paper examines Agent UML - a set of proposed extensions to UML to facilitate MAS design. The paper highlights limitations in Agent UML's ability to accurately describe all aspects of MASs and suggests an additional diagrammatic technique to address these limitations. The additional methodology is intended to complement, rather than replace, those that already form the basis of Agent UML.
This paper examines Agent UML - a set of proposed extensions to UML to facilitate MAS design. The paper highlights limitations in Agent UML's ability to accurately describe all aspects of MASs and suggests an additional diagrammatic technique to address these limitations. The additional methodology is intended to complement, rather than replace, those that already form the basis of Agent UML.