Publication - Multi-Linked Negotiation in Multi-Agent System

Authors:	Xiaoqin Zhang; Victor Lesser
Title:	Multi-Linked Negotiation in Multi-Agent System
Abstract:	Multi-linked negotiation describes a situation where one agent needs to negotiate with multiple agents about different issues, and the negotiation over one issue influences the negotiations over other issues. Multi-linked issues will become important for the next generation of more complicated Multi-Agent Systems. However, most current negotiation research only looks at single issue negotiation and thus does not present techniques to reason and manage multi-linked issues. In this paper, we present a technique based on the use of a partial-order schedule and a measure of the schedule, called flexibility, which enables an agent to reason explicitly about the interactions among multiple negotiation issues. We show how an agent uses the partial-order schedule to effectively manage interacting negotiation issues; and how the flexibility is a key measure for ordering and managing negotiation issues. Experimental work is presented which shows this management technique for multi-linked negotiation leads to improved performance.
Keywords:	Negotiation, Supply Chain
Publication:	Proceedings of the First International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents And MultiAgent Systems (AAMAS 2002), pp. 1207 - 1214
Date:	2002
Sources:	HTML: http://mas.cs.umass.edu/~xqzhang/pub/ml.pdf
Reference:	Xiaoqin Zhang; Victor Lesser. Multi-Linked Negotiation in Multi-Agent System. Proceedings of the First International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents And MultiAgent Systems (AAMAS 2002), pp. 1207-1214. 2002.
`bibtex`:	@article{Zhang-245, author = "Victor Lesser Xiaoqin Zhang", title = "{Multi-Linked Negotiation in Multi-Agent System}", journal = "Proceedings of the First International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents And MultiAgent Systems (AAMAS 2002)", pages = "1207-1214", year = "2002", url = "http://mas.cs.umass.edu/paper/245", }