Normative Multi-Agent Systems

Motivation

Normative systems are “systems in the behavior of which norms play a role and which need normative concepts in order to be described or specified.” A normative multi-agent system combines models for normative systems (dealing for example with obligations, permissions and prohibitions) with models for multi-agent systems. Normative multi-agent systems provide a promising model for human and artificial agent co-ordination, because they integrate norms and individual intelligence. They are a prime example of the use of sociological theories in multi-agent systems, and therefore of the relation between agent theory - both multi-agent systems and autonomous agents - and the social sciences - sociology, philosophy, economics, legal science, etc.

Norms have been proposed in multi-agent systems and computer science to deal with coordination issues, to deal with security issues of multi-agent systems, to model legal issues in electronic institutions and electronic commerce, to model multi-agent organizations, etc. However, there is no common theory of normative multi-agent systems, due to the lack of a universal theory in the social sciences. Therefore, presently many multi-agent system researchers are developing their own ad hoc theories and applications.

Two previous Dagstuhl seminars have been organized on the topic of normative multi-agent systems. The Dagstuhl seminars07122 on normative multi-agent systems (www.dagstuhl.de/07122) had the aim of identifying common definitions, ontologies, research problems and applications. The second Dagstuhl seminar 0912(www.dagstuhl.de/09121) brought together specialists from different areas such as computer science, logic, sociology, and cognitive science to discuss the fundamental concepts and ontologies connected to the use of norms in human and artificial systems, more in particular the use of norms as a mechanism in multi-agent systems and the use of multi-agent systems to study the concept and theories of norms and normative behavior. It should be mentioned that interest around the relationships between norms and multi-agent systems has been present in other venues. For instance the DEON, COIN, PROMAS workshops have traditionally included papers on norms and multi-agent systems but the relative weight of this topic appears to have increased in the last three years. Furthermore, the COST action on Agreement technologies set up a working group on this specific topic and is fostering an understanding of the topic in a wider perspective.

Given this zeitgeist, in NorMAS 2012 we intend to build on the outcomes of that recent activity and on the individual contributions of distinguished members of the community, in order to formulate a collective appraisal of the current perspectives in the field and the most promising venues for future activity.

As was the case with the two previous Dagstuhl NorMAS seminars, individual and collective contributions will be compiled into a volume with the possibility of expanding some contributions into papers for already committed special issues of AI&Law and JLC. However, for this occasion, the process by which individual contributions are compiled, and reported will take advantage of the new formats offered by Dagstuhl for these purposes (cf. www.dagstuhl.de/publikationen ). In particular, participants will be invited to prepare contributions around specific topics to be compiled and elaborated as a working draft of what is the intended outcome of the actual seminar: a roadmap for the area to be published in the near future.