Electronic Institutions for Multi-agent Systems

We'll introduce a possible venue for the implementation of complex dynamic systems based on agents. Equation based modelling will be put in relation with a methodology to build agent based models. This methodology is based on a two step specification process. First, agent interactions are specified using a language designed to represent Electronic Institutions, the electronic version of social institutions. Second, the agents themselves are programmed in MABLE, an imperative programming language for multiagent systems. These programs can be checked for correctness using techniques from model checking, and their behaviour simulated. The advantages and disadvantages of this particular approach to agent based modeling will be discussed.