[Modeling] definitions of terminology

Dr. Hong Zhu hzhu@brookes.ac.uk
Thu, 15 May 2003 12:01:00 +0100


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MessaggioDear Massimo,

Many thanks for the information. I found that the paper that Jim =
recommended is very interesting and I quite like what the paper proposed =
to clarify the use of these terminologies. Here is the url of the paper =
in case you need the original.=20

http://jamesodell.com/AAMAS-2002-Parunak.pdf

The following is my understanding of what the paper suggested with a =
little modification, but in my own shorter wording.=20

(A) Coordination is concerned with the interactions between agents that =
can be modelled, described and observed without refer to the internal =
structures of the agents. It is about the information flows between the =
agents and the temporal ordering of actions and events, in particular, =
the synchronisation issues, related to the behaviours of agents in a =
multi-agent system. (Essential, coordination is the study of agent =
interactions by considering agents as black-boxes.)

(B) Cooperation is concerned with those aspects of the interactions =
between agents that are related to the internal structures and =
mechanisms of individual agents about how an agent particulate in the =
interactions. For example, in a cooperative model of multiagent systems, =
we would expect a model of agents' mental state of willingness to =
participate in an interaction with other agents, such as how an agent to =
discover that another agent's intension or believe matches its own =
intention, etc. (Essentially, cooperation is the study of agent =
interactions by considering agents as white-boxes.)=20

(C) Collaboration (which is a terminology not defined in the above =
paper) is concerned with the interactions between agents in a multiagent =
system that the whole system is also considered as an agent with certain =
structure of system's global state. It is concerned with the =
relationships between individual agents' mental structures and internal =
states and the system's collective mental structure and state. For =
example, a collaborative model of multiagent systems may contain a model =
of system's global intention and individual agent's intention, and we =
can talk about congruence (that is the consistency between an agent's =
behaviour and the whole system's global goal or intention) and coherence =
(that is the consistency between an agent's internal state, such as =
intention, and the system's goal or intention). (In other words, the =
difference between cooperation and collaboration is that cooperation =
does not have a model of the whole system as an agent.)=20

Any thought?

I will be happy if these definitions are of any good to be used by the =
glossary.=20

By the way, I just found from that webpage that FIPA methodology =
committee is working on the metamodel. I am also interested in the =
problem of metamodels of agent-oriented software development in general =
and the metamodel of AUML in particular. I will appreciate it if I can =
share the information with the methodology thread of work on this issue. =

=20
Best regards,
Hong

  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Massimo Cossentino=20
  To: 'Dr. Hong Zhu'=20
  Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2003 2:08 PM
  Subject: R: [Modeling] definitions of terminology


  Dear Hong,
  you can some definitions in the methodology Tc website =
(http://www.pa.icar.cnr.it/~cossentino/FIPAmeth/).=20
  Please, if you find interesting definitions, would you like to =
contribute with them to this glossary?

  Regards,

  Massimo Cossentino



    -----Messaggio originale-----
    Da: modeling-admin@fipa.org [mailto:modeling-admin@fipa.org] Per =
conto di Dr. Hong Zhu
    Inviato: marted=EC 13 maggio 2003 12.45
    A: Modeling@fipa.org
    Oggetto: [Modeling] definitions of terminology


    Hi,

    I am working on the modelling area of social aspect. I wonder if =
there is any differences between the following group of words: =
cooperation, collaboration, coordination.=20

    Another question I would like to ask you is whether these words have =
been defined with specific meanings by any organisation(s) (such as =
FIPA) or in any books/papers/articles. Moreover, can someone pointing me =
to any survey papers  about the research in the area or books that can =
give me an overview of the field?

    Thank you very much.

    Best regards,
    Hong
    =
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D
    Dr. Hong Zhu, Senior Lecturer in Computing
    Dept of Computing, School of Technology
    Oxford Brookes University, Wheatley Campus
    Oxford OX33 1HX, England
    TeL: (01865) 484580, Mobile: 07957700800
    Fax: (01865) 484545, Email: hzhu@brookes.ac.uk
    http:://www.brookes.ac.uk/~p0072431/zhuhomepage.html
    =
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D



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<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Messaggio</TITLE>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dear Massimo,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Many thanks for the information. I =
found that the=20
paper that Jim recommended is very interesting and I quite like what the =
paper=20
proposed to clarify the use of these terminologies. Here is the url of =
the paper=20
in case you need the original. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><A=20
href=3D"http://jamesodell.com/AAMAS-2002-Parunak.pdf">http://jamesodell.c=
om/AAMAS-2002-Parunak.pdf</A><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The following&nbsp;is my understanding =
of what the=20
paper suggested with a little modification, but in my own shorter =
wording.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>(A) Coordination is concerned with the =
interactions=20
between agents that can be modelled, described and observed without =
refer to the=20
internal structures of the agents. It is about the information flows =
between the=20
agents and&nbsp;the temporal ordering of actions and events, in =
particular, the=20
synchronisation issues, related to the behaviours of agents in a =
multi-agent=20
system. (Essential, coordination is the study of agent interactions by=20
considering agents as black-boxes.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>(B) Cooperation is concerned with those =
aspects of=20
the interactions between agents that are related to the =
internal&nbsp;structures=20
and mechanisms of individual agents about how an agent particulate in =
the=20
interactions. For example, in a cooperative model of multiagent systems, =
we=20
would expect a model of agents' mental state of willingness to =
participate in an=20
interaction with other agents, such as how an agent to discover that =
another=20
agent's&nbsp;intension or believe matches its own intention, etc. =
(Essentially,=20
cooperation is the study of agent interactions by considering agents as=20
white-boxes.) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>(C) Collaboration (which is a =
terminology not=20
defined in the above paper) is concerned with the interactions between =
agents in=20
a multiagent system that the whole system is also considered as an agent =
with=20
certain structure of system's global state. It is concerned with the=20
relationships between individual agents' mental structures and internal =
states=20
and&nbsp;the system's collective mental structure and state. For =
example, a=20
collaborative model of multiagent systems may contain a model of =
system's global=20
intention and individual agent's intention, and we can talk about =
congruence=20
(that is the consistency between an agent's behaviour and the whole =
system's=20
global goal or intention) and coherence (that is the consistency between =
an=20
agent's internal state, such as intention, and the system's goal or =
intention).=20
(In other words, the difference between cooperation and collaboration is =
that=20
cooperation does not have a model of the whole system as an agent.)=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Any thought?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I will be happy if these definitions =
are of any=20
good to be used by the glossary. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>By the way, I just found from that =
webpage that=20
FIPA methodology committee is working on the metamodel. I am also =
interested in=20
the problem of metamodels of agent-oriented software development in =
general and=20
the metamodel of AUML in particular.&nbsp;I will appreciate it if I can =
share=20
the information with the methodology thread of work on this issue. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Best regards,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hong</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Dcossentino@pa.icar.cnr.it=20
  href=3D"mailto:cossentino@pa.icar.cnr.it">Massimo Cossentino</A> =
</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dhzhu@brookes.ac.uk=20
  href=3D"mailto:hzhu@brookes.ac.uk">'Dr. Hong Zhu'</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, May 14, 2003 =
2:08=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> R: [Modeling] =
definitions of=20
  terminology</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>Dear=20
  Hong,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>you=20
  can <SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff size=3D2>some=20
  definitions in the methodology Tc website (<A=20
  =
href=3D"http://www.pa.icar.cnr.it/~cossentino/FIPAmeth/">http://www.pa.ic=
ar.cnr.it/~cossentino/FIPAmeth/</A>).=20
  </FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003>Please, if you find =
interesting=20
  definitions, would you like to contribute with them to this=20
  glossary?</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D125290413-14052003></SPAN></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D125290413-14052003>Regards,</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D125290413-14052003></SPAN></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003>Massimo=20
  Cossentino</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D125290413-14052003></SPAN></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D125290413-14052003></SPAN></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><SPAN class=3D125290413-14052003><FONT face=3DArial =
color=3D#0000ff=20
  size=3D2><SPAN =
class=3D125290413-14052003></SPAN></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
  style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px =
solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
    <DIV></DIV>
    <DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Dit dir=3Dltr =
align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DTahoma=20
    size=3D2>-----Messaggio originale-----<BR><B>Da:</B> <A=20
    href=3D"mailto:modeling-admin@fipa.org">modeling-admin@fipa.org</A>=20
    [mailto:modeling-admin@fipa.org] <B>Per conto di </B>Dr. Hong=20
    Zhu<BR><B>Inviato:</B> marted=EC 13 maggio 2003 12.45<BR><B>A:</B>=20
    Modeling@fipa.org<BR><B>Oggetto:</B> [Modeling] definitions of=20
    terminology<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hi,</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2>I am working on the modelling area of social =
aspect. I=20
    wonder if there is any differences between the following group of =
words:=20
    cooperation, collaboration, coordination. </FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Another question I would like to ask you is =
whether these=20
    words have been defined with specific meanings by any =
organisation(s) (such=20
    as FIPA) or in any books/papers/articles. Moreover, can someone =
pointing me=20
    to any survey papers&nbsp;&nbsp;about the research in the area or =
books that=20
    can give me an overview of the field?</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Thank you very much.</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Best regards,</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2>Hong</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT=20
    =
size=3D2>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D<BR>Dr. Hong=20
    Zhu, Senior Lecturer in Computing<BR>Dept of Computing, School of=20
    Technology<BR>Oxford Brookes University, Wheatley Campus<BR>Oxford =
OX33 1HX,=20
    England<BR>TeL: (01865) 484580, Mobile: 07957700800<BR>Fax: (01865) =
484545,=20
    Email: <A=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:hzhu@brookes.ac.uk">hzhu@brookes.ac.uk</A><BR>http:://www.=
brookes.ac.uk/~p0072431/zhuhomepage.html<BR>=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D</FONT></DIV>
    <DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV><BR>
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