We look at how the structure of social networks and the nature of social interactions affect the ... more We look at how the structure of social networks and the nature of social interactions affect the behaviour of Particle Swarms Optimisers. To this end, we propose a general model of communication and consensus which focuses on the effects of social interactions putting the details of the dynamics and the optimum seeking behaviour of PSOs into the background.
ABSTRACT A system for distributed process management uses a plurality of units of software instal... more ABSTRACT A system for distributed process management uses a plurality of units of software installed on a computing platform. Further software controls operation of the plurality of units in use. Each unit of software communicates with other units of software, and at least some of the units of software further provides one or more elements of a software process. The further software being capable of defining at least one set of software units and controlling communication by the units in the set to be limited to communication only with other units of the set
ABSTRACT In a method of operating a data network comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes (... more ABSTRACT In a method of operating a data network comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes (30) each of which is operable to perform one or more services upon receiving a suitable request for a service, one or more user devices (10) connected to the network can issue requests (12,14) for a service to be carried out by a node or nodes within the network. The method comprises: operating a virtual mechanism (50) in which a plurality of different types of elements (61,65,66,67) are represented, each element obeying a set of rules associated with the respective type of the element, the respective set of rules specifying how the element behaves, wherein each element has a location property which may be correlated to one or more nodes or node locations, the method further comprising analysing the virtual mechanism (50) and selecting one or more services to be offered by each node (30) in the network based on the analysis of the virtual mechanism.
This paper draws from comparisons between natural and artificial agents in order to understand th... more This paper draws from comparisons between natural and artificial agents in order to understand the forces that dictate the transfer of location, functionality and security. Specifically we consider the social insects and current mobile agent systems, in order to understand how the need for resource acquisition and defense can influence the design and operation of agent systems. We consider three themes, movement, action and defense, and in each case review strategies adopted by natural agents and consider how they may be applied to enhance the design of adaptive mobile agents.
We discuss and investigate collective decision-making, i.e. the process whereby a population of a... more We discuss and investigate collective decision-making, i.e. the process whereby a population of autonomous units jointly identifies and adopts one out of many possible configurations, in the absence of any internal hierarchical structure (leadership), pre-existing blueprint, or runtime instructions from an external authority. Collective decision-making is a useful design paradigm whenever direct control is impractical and yet efficient operation requires coordination. We discuss the meaning of collective decision-making in nature along with specific examples of vertebrate species where collective decision-making is carried out. We create a model of collective decision-making partly inspired by arthropod swarming and conduct analysis and numerical experiments in the case of a binary choice (two sites). We extend the numerical experiments into situations where there are multiple sites and where there are constraints on the communication and movement of the autonomous units among those...
Licences for Third Generation Mobile (3GM) spectrum have been auctioned in the UK and other count... more Licences for Third Generation Mobile (3GM) spectrum have been auctioned in the UK and other countries around the world. An understanding of the dynamics of the auction design used, and the likely strategies which bidders might have to adopt, was of vital importance to telecom operators who wished to win a licence in these spectrum auctions. There is also increasing interest in auctions in general, born out of the burgeoning Internet-based auction business and the potential use of auctions to sell telecoms bandwidth on the wholesale and even retail markets. Research into auction theory will therefore be of increasing importance to providers of telecommunication services. The UK 3GM Auction used a structure based on simultaneous compulsory bidding in a form of multi-unit ascending auction. The structure is based upon the type of auction used successfully by the US Federal Communications Commission in selling radio spectrum in the United States, but introduces a number of new features ...
Proceedings of the first international joint conference on Autonomous agents and multiagent systems part 2 - AAMAS '02, 2002
Mobile Agent systems have attracted considerable attention as means of exploring and manipulating... more Mobile Agent systems have attracted considerable attention as means of exploring and manipulating distributed information sources. However, many existing multi-agent platforms present limitations in terms of adaptability and scalability, indicating difficulties when trying to replicate these results on a large scale. We describe the core of a novel mobile agent toolkit known as DIET, (Decentralised Information Ecosystem Technologies), which addresses some of these limitations and provides a foundation for an open, robust, adaptive and scalable agent ecosystem. We introduce DIET core features and describe how they support basic mobile agent capabilities such as migration and real-time interaction. We then illustrate how an ecosysteminspired design approach differs from conventional design approaches. Finally, we experiment with a simple information retrieval scenario, demonstrating the emergence of agent communities through the evolution of environmental preferences. In this way we hope to clarify how applications built on this foundation could be used to tackle problems in adaptable and open real-world scenarios.
2007 2nd Bio-Inspired Models of Network, Information and Computing Systems, 2007
We live in a networked world whose physical universe is linked more and more pervasively into an ... more We live in a networked world whose physical universe is linked more and more pervasively into an ever growing 'cyber-physical ecosystem'. While initially developed for a particular purpose or specific application the various networks are starting to converge into a joint emerging Network of Networks, larger than the sum of its parts -which is testing our ability to manage the 'eNetworked ecosystem' to improve our lives. New theories have been recently proposed for designing eNetworked ecosystems by following major lessons learned from the evolution of life itself -as the best example of harnessing and organizing complexity for the purposes of efficiency and resilience.
ABSTRACT The complexity of the global information infrastructure demands new approaches to managi... more ABSTRACT The complexity of the global information infrastructure demands new approaches to managing distributed information. The Decentralised Information Ecosystem Technologies (DIET) project has produced a software platform based on a lightweight, scalable, multi-agent system that can be used to support a variety of information management applications that deal with some of this complexity. This paper describes the main components of the DIET software platform, and several examples of its application. It also considers the diversity of potential applications for this technology.
We look at how the structure of social networks and the nature of social interactions affect the ... more We look at how the structure of social networks and the nature of social interactions affect the behaviour of Particle Swarms Optimisers. To this end, we propose a general model of communication and consensus which focuses on the effects of social interactions putting the details of the dynamics and the optimum seeking behaviour of PSOs into the background.
ABSTRACT A system for distributed process management uses a plurality of units of software instal... more ABSTRACT A system for distributed process management uses a plurality of units of software installed on a computing platform. Further software controls operation of the plurality of units in use. Each unit of software communicates with other units of software, and at least some of the units of software further provides one or more elements of a software process. The further software being capable of defining at least one set of software units and controlling communication by the units in the set to be limited to communication only with other units of the set
ABSTRACT In a method of operating a data network comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes (... more ABSTRACT In a method of operating a data network comprising a plurality of interconnected nodes (30) each of which is operable to perform one or more services upon receiving a suitable request for a service, one or more user devices (10) connected to the network can issue requests (12,14) for a service to be carried out by a node or nodes within the network. The method comprises: operating a virtual mechanism (50) in which a plurality of different types of elements (61,65,66,67) are represented, each element obeying a set of rules associated with the respective type of the element, the respective set of rules specifying how the element behaves, wherein each element has a location property which may be correlated to one or more nodes or node locations, the method further comprising analysing the virtual mechanism (50) and selecting one or more services to be offered by each node (30) in the network based on the analysis of the virtual mechanism.
This paper draws from comparisons between natural and artificial agents in order to understand th... more This paper draws from comparisons between natural and artificial agents in order to understand the forces that dictate the transfer of location, functionality and security. Specifically we consider the social insects and current mobile agent systems, in order to understand how the need for resource acquisition and defense can influence the design and operation of agent systems. We consider three themes, movement, action and defense, and in each case review strategies adopted by natural agents and consider how they may be applied to enhance the design of adaptive mobile agents.
We discuss and investigate collective decision-making, i.e. the process whereby a population of a... more We discuss and investigate collective decision-making, i.e. the process whereby a population of autonomous units jointly identifies and adopts one out of many possible configurations, in the absence of any internal hierarchical structure (leadership), pre-existing blueprint, or runtime instructions from an external authority. Collective decision-making is a useful design paradigm whenever direct control is impractical and yet efficient operation requires coordination. We discuss the meaning of collective decision-making in nature along with specific examples of vertebrate species where collective decision-making is carried out. We create a model of collective decision-making partly inspired by arthropod swarming and conduct analysis and numerical experiments in the case of a binary choice (two sites). We extend the numerical experiments into situations where there are multiple sites and where there are constraints on the communication and movement of the autonomous units among those...
Licences for Third Generation Mobile (3GM) spectrum have been auctioned in the UK and other count... more Licences for Third Generation Mobile (3GM) spectrum have been auctioned in the UK and other countries around the world. An understanding of the dynamics of the auction design used, and the likely strategies which bidders might have to adopt, was of vital importance to telecom operators who wished to win a licence in these spectrum auctions. There is also increasing interest in auctions in general, born out of the burgeoning Internet-based auction business and the potential use of auctions to sell telecoms bandwidth on the wholesale and even retail markets. Research into auction theory will therefore be of increasing importance to providers of telecommunication services. The UK 3GM Auction used a structure based on simultaneous compulsory bidding in a form of multi-unit ascending auction. The structure is based upon the type of auction used successfully by the US Federal Communications Commission in selling radio spectrum in the United States, but introduces a number of new features ...
Proceedings of the first international joint conference on Autonomous agents and multiagent systems part 2 - AAMAS '02, 2002
Mobile Agent systems have attracted considerable attention as means of exploring and manipulating... more Mobile Agent systems have attracted considerable attention as means of exploring and manipulating distributed information sources. However, many existing multi-agent platforms present limitations in terms of adaptability and scalability, indicating difficulties when trying to replicate these results on a large scale. We describe the core of a novel mobile agent toolkit known as DIET, (Decentralised Information Ecosystem Technologies), which addresses some of these limitations and provides a foundation for an open, robust, adaptive and scalable agent ecosystem. We introduce DIET core features and describe how they support basic mobile agent capabilities such as migration and real-time interaction. We then illustrate how an ecosysteminspired design approach differs from conventional design approaches. Finally, we experiment with a simple information retrieval scenario, demonstrating the emergence of agent communities through the evolution of environmental preferences. In this way we hope to clarify how applications built on this foundation could be used to tackle problems in adaptable and open real-world scenarios.
2007 2nd Bio-Inspired Models of Network, Information and Computing Systems, 2007
We live in a networked world whose physical universe is linked more and more pervasively into an ... more We live in a networked world whose physical universe is linked more and more pervasively into an ever growing 'cyber-physical ecosystem'. While initially developed for a particular purpose or specific application the various networks are starting to converge into a joint emerging Network of Networks, larger than the sum of its parts -which is testing our ability to manage the 'eNetworked ecosystem' to improve our lives. New theories have been recently proposed for designing eNetworked ecosystems by following major lessons learned from the evolution of life itself -as the best example of harnessing and organizing complexity for the purposes of efficiency and resilience.
ABSTRACT The complexity of the global information infrastructure demands new approaches to managi... more ABSTRACT The complexity of the global information infrastructure demands new approaches to managing distributed information. The Decentralised Information Ecosystem Technologies (DIET) project has produced a software platform based on a lightweight, scalable, multi-agent system that can be used to support a variety of information management applications that deal with some of this complexity. This paper describes the main components of the DIET software platform, and several examples of its application. It also considers the diversity of potential applications for this technology.
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Papers by Paul Marrow