Verification of dynamic epistemic properties in multi-agent systems

doctoral thesis

• Title (croatian): Verifikacija dinamičkih epistemičkih svojstava višeagentskih sustava
• Author: Marina Bagić Babac
• Mentor: Marijan Kunštić (mentor)
• Committee member: Dragan Jevtić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Miljenko Mikuc (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Antun Carić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Mojca Ciglarič (član povjerenstva); strani drzavljanin: Nije dostupno
• Committee member: Ignac Lovrek (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing; (Department of Telecommunications); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2009-04-28, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: TECHNICAL SCIENCES; Electrical Engineering
• Universal decimal classification (UDC): 621.3 - Electrical engineering

Abstract

One of the major application areas of reasoning about knowledge are multi-agent systems (MAS). The paradigm of MAS has been employed successfully in several fields, including philosophy, economics and software engineering. MAS formalism enables us to abstract a system from unnecessary details and to focus on communication and cooperation among agents in the system. This thesis is concerned with the problems of MAS specification and verification, with the emphasis on their dynamic epistemic properties. Epistemic transition system (ETS) is introduced to present an agent as the smallest unit in a multi-agent system. Being composed of a set of well defined ETSs, MAS builds the epistemic synchronous product (ESP) describing the formal model for a multi-agent system. A special extension of Action computation tree logic with unless operator (ACTLW) for epistemic reasoning (ACTLW-ER) is then used for model checking dynamic epistemic properties of MAS. The epistemic operators are added to ACTLW for that purpose. They are implemented by symbolic model checking algorithms using binary decision diagrams. A set of communication protocols are provided to explain the practical meaning of the theoretical approach. Each example provides with the specification, encoding, verification steps and experimental results are given to conclude.

Abstract (croatian)

Paradigma višeagentskih sustava (MAS) uspješno je primijenjena u raznim područjima poput filozofije, ekonomije i softverskog inženjerstva. MAS formalizam omogućava apstrahiranje sustava od nepotrebnih detalja i fokusiranje na komunikaciju i kooperciju među agentima u sustavu. Ova disertacija bavi se problemima specifikacije i verifikacije višeagentskih sustava s naglaskom na njihova dinamička epistemička svojstva. Agent je kao najmanja jedinica višeagentskog sustava prikazan pomoću strukture epistemičkog prijelaznog sustava (Epistemic transition system - ETS). Višeagentski sustav prikazan je kao skup ETS-ova što čini epistemički sinkroni produkt (Epistemic Synchronous Product - ESP). Time je opisan formalni model agenata. Za provjeravanje njihovih dinamičkih epistemičkih svojstava koristi se proširenje ACTLW logike (Action computation tree logic with unless operator) logika za epistemičku analizu. U njoj su epistemički operatori pomoću kojih se verificira znanje agenata. Operatori su implementirani pomoću simboličkih algoritama koji se temelje na binarnim stablima odlučivanja (binary decision diagrams - BDDs). Teorijska raščlamba disertacije potkrijepljena je na kraju skupom komunikacijskih primjera od kojih svaki sadrži specifikaciju, kodiranje, verifikaciju i eksperimantalne rezultate simulacije.

• Keywords: model checking; multi-agent systems; epistemic reasoning; ACTLW
• Keywords (croatian): Provjeravanje modela; šeagentski sustavi; epistemička analiza; verifikacija; akcijska logika stablastog izvođenja s "osim ako" operatorom; upravljanje znanjem
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:168:305081
• Project: Number: 036-0362027-1640; Title: UPRAVLJANJE MREŽOM I USLUGAMA TEMELJENO NA ZNANJU; Leader: Dragan Jevtić; Jurisdiction: Croatia; Funder: MZOS; Funding stream: ZP
• Study programme: Title: Doctoral study programme "Electrical Engineering and Computing"; Study programme type: university; Study level: postgraduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica znanosti, po-dručje tehničkih znanosti (doktor/doktorica znanosti, po-dručje tehničkih znanosti)
• Catalog URL: http://lib.fer.hr/cgi-bin/koha/opac-detail.pl?biblionumber=33435
• Type of resource: Text
• Extent: 132 str.
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Closed access
• Created on: 2020-03-24 12:18:06