Principles of Practice in Multi-Agent Systems

Agents are software processes that perceive and act in an environment, processing their perceptions to make intelligent decisions about actions to achieve their goals. Multi-agent systems have multiple agents that work in the same environment to achieve either joint or conflicting goals. Agent computing and technology is an exciting, emerging paradigm expected to play a key role in many society-changing practices from disaster response to manufacturing to agriculture. Agent and mul- agent researchers are focused on building working systems that bring together a broad range of technical areas from market theory to software engineering to user interfaces. Agent systems are expected to operate in real-world environments, with all the challenges complex environments present. After 11 successful PRIMA workshops/conferences (Pacific-Rim International Conference/Workshop on Multi-Agents), PRIMA became a new conference titled “International Conference on Principles of Practice in Multi-Agent Systems” in 2009. With over 100 submissions, an acceptance rate for full papers of 25% and 50% for posters, a demonstration session, an industry track, a RoboCup competition and workshops and tutorials, PRIMA has become an important venue for multi-agent research. Papers submitted are from all parts of the world, though with a higher representation of Pacific Rim countries than other major multi-agent research forums. This volume presents 34 high-quality and exciting technical papers on multimedia research and an additional 18 poster papers that give brief views on exciting research.

Technical Papers.- A Market-Based Multi-Issue Negotiation Model Considering Multiple Preferences in Dynamic E-Marketplaces.- Designing Protocols for Collaborative Translation.- An Affective Agent Playing Tic-Tac-Toe as Part of a Healing Environment.- A Multi-agent Model for Emotion Contagion Spirals Integrated within a Supporting Ambient Agent Model.- Statistical Utterance Selection Using Word Co-occurrence for a Dialogue Agent.- On the Impact of Witness-Based Collusion in Agent Societies.- Efficient Methods for Multi-agent Multi-issue Negotiation: Allocating Resources.- Token Based Resource Sharing in Heterogeneous Multi-agent Teams.- Gaia Agents Implementation through Models Transformation.- ONTOMO: Development of Ontology Building Service.- Syncretic Argumentation by Means of Lattice Homomorphism.- Adaptive Adjustment of Starting Price for Agents in Continuous Double Auctions.- SIM-MADARP: An Agent-Based Tool for Dial-a-Ride Simulation.- An Empirical Study of Agent Programs.- A Multiagent Model for Provider-Centered Trust in Composite Web Services.- Memory Complexity of Automated Trust Negotiation Strategies.- Layered Distributed Constraint Optimization Problem for Resource Allocation Problem in Distributed Sensor Networks.- NegoExplorer: A Region-Based Recursive Approach to Bilateral Multi-attribute Negotiation.- Applying User Feedback and Query Learning Methods to Multiple Communities.- An Adaptive Human-Aware Software Agent Supporting Attention-Demanding Tasks.- Designing a Two-Sided Matching Protocol under Asymmetric Information.- Emotion Detection from Body Motion of Human Form Robot Based on Laban Movement Analysis.- HoneySpam 2.0: Profiling Web Spambot Behaviour.- Multimedia Papers.- A Modeling Tool for Service-Oriented Open Multiagent Systems.- Analysis, Comparison and Selection of MAS Software Engineering Processes and Tools.- A Synchronous Model of Mental Rhythm Using Paralanguage for Communication Robots.- Generating Association-Based Motion through Human-Robot Interaction.- SmartContractor: A Distributed Task Assignment System Based on the Simple Contract Net Protocol.- Participatory Simulation Environment gumonji/Q: A Network Game Empowered by Agents.- Industrial Papers.- A Multi-Agent System Based Approach to Intelligent Process Automation Systems.- Non-equity Joints among Small and Medium Enterprises and Innovation Management: An Empirical Analysis Based on Simulation.- Wide-Area Traffic Simulation Based on Driving Behavior Model.- An Agent-Based Framework for Healthcare Support System.- Interpolation System of Traffic Condition by Estimation/Learning Agents.- Poster Papers.- A Fuzzy Rule-Based System for Ontology Mapping.- Where Are All the Agents? On the Gap between Theory and Practice of Agent-Based Referral Networks.- SADE: A Development Environment for Adaptive Multi-Agent Systems.- Recursive Adaptation of Stepsize Parameter for Non-stationary Environments.- Mechanism Design Simulation for Healthcare Reform in China.- Case Learning in CBR-Based Agent Systems for Ship Collision Avoidance.- An Adaptive Agent Model for Emotion Reading by Mirroring Body States and Hebbian Learning.- Agent Evacuation Simulation Using a Hybrid Network and Free Space Models.- Designing Agent Behaviour in Agent-Based Simulation through Participatory Method.- Influence of Social Networks on Recovering Large Scale Distributed Systems.- Dynamic Evolution of Role Taxonomies through Multidimensional Clustering in Multiagent Organizations.- Adaptation and Validation of an Agent Model of Functional State and Performance for Individuals.- A Cooperation Trading Method with Hybrid Traders.- GPGCloud: Model Sharing and Execution Environment Service for Simulation of International Politics and Economics.- Creating and Using Reputation-Based Agreements in Organisational Environments.- Directory Service in the Language Grid for System Integration.- SBDO: A New Robust Approach to Dynamic Distributed Constraint Optimisation.- Evacuation Planning Assist System with Network Model-Based Pedestrian Simulator.