Towards a formal approach to overhearing: Algorithms for conversation identification

Gery Gutnik, Gal Kaminka

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

14 Scopus citations

Abstract

Overhearing is gaining attention as a generic method for cooperative monitoring of distributed, open, multi-agent systems. It involves monitoring the routine conversations of agents-who know they are being overheard-to assist the agents, assess their progress, or suggest advice. While there have been several investigations of applications and methods of overhearing, no formal model of overhearing exists. This paper takes steps towards such a model. It first formalizes a conversation system-the set of conversations in a multi-agent system. It then defines a key step in overhearing-conversation recognition-identifying the conversations that took place within a system, given a set of overheard messages. We provide a skeleton algorithm for conversation recognition, and provide instantiations of it for settings involving no message loss, random message loss, and systematic message loss (such as always losing one side of the conversation). We analyze the complexity of these algorithms, and show that the systematic message loss algorithm, which is unique to overhearing, is significantly more efficient then the random loss algorithm (which is intractable).

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the Third International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagents Systems, AAMAS 2004
EditorsN.R. Jennings, C. Sierra, L. Sonenberg, M. Tambe
Pages78-85
Number of pages8
StatePublished - 2004
EventProceedings of the Third International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, AAMAS 2004 - New York, NY, United States
Duration: 19 Jul 200423 Jul 2004

Publication series

NameProceedings of the Third International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, AAMAS 2004
Volume1

Conference

ConferenceProceedings of the Third International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, AAMAS 2004
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityNew York, NY
Period19/07/0423/07/04

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