Multi-agent oriented constraint satisfaction

This paper presents a multi-agent oriented method for solving CSPs (Constraint Satisfaction Problems). In this method, distributed agents represent variables and a two-dimensional grid-like environment in which the agents inhabit corresponds to the domains of the variables. Thus, the positions of the agents in such an environment constitute the solution to a CSP. In order to reach a solution state, the agents will rely on predefined local reactive behaviors; namely, better-move, least-move, and random-move. While presenting the formalisms and algorithm, we will analyze the correctness and complexity of the algorithm, and demonstrate the proposed method with two benchmark CSPs, i.e., n-queen problems and coloring problems. In order to further determine the effectiveness of different reactive behaviors, we will examine the performance of this method in deriving solutions based on behavior prioritization and different selection probabilities.

[1]  Edmund H. Durfee,et al.  Emergent Properties of a Market-based Digital Library with Strategic Agents , 2004, Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems.

[2]  Martin C. Cooper.  An Optimal k-Consistency Algorithm , 1989, Artif. Intell..

[3]  Makoto Yokoo,et al.  Multiagent Real-Time-A* with Selection: Introducing Competition in Cooperative Search , 1996 .

[4]  A. Gamst,et al.  Some lower bounds for a class of frequency assignment problems , 1986, IEEE Transactions on Vehicular Technology.

[5]  Hideo Ogawa.  Labeled point pattern matching by Delaunay triangulation and maximal cliques , 1986, Pattern Recognit..

[6]  Rok Sosic,et al.  Efficient Local Search with Conflict Minimization: A Case Study of the n-Queens Problem , 1994, IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng..

[7]  Abdollah Homaifar,et al.  The N-queens problem and genetic algorithms , 1992, Proceedings IEEE Southeastcon '92.

[8]  Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni,et al.  A Recursive Model for Distributed Planning , 1996 .

[9]  Nils J. Nilsson,et al.  Artificial Intelligence , 1974, IFIP Congress.

[10]  Gerald J. Sussman,et al.  Forward Reasoning and Dependency-Directed Backtracking in a System for Computer-Aided Circuit Analysis , 1976, Artif. Intell..

[11]  Thomas C. Henderson,et al.  Arc and Path Consistency Revisited , 1986, Artif. Intell..

[12]  Charles J. Petrie,et al.  On the Equivalence of Constraint Satisfaction Problems , 1990, ECAI.

[13]  Steven Minton,et al.  Minimizing Conflicts: A Heuristic Repair Method for Constraint Satisfaction and Scheduling Problems , 1992, Artif. Intell..

[14]  Frank Thomson Leighton,et al.  A Graph Coloring Algorithm for Large Scheduling Problems. , 1979, Journal of research of the National Bureau of Standards.

[15]  Jun Gu,et al.  Efficient local search for very large-scale satisfiability problems , 1992, SGAR.

[16]  Michael Luck,et al.  Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Multi-Agent Systems , 1998 .

[17]  M. Dorigo,et al.  Ant System: An Autocatalytic Optimizing Process , 1991 .

[18]  Maurice Bruynooghe,et al.  Solving Combinatorial Search Problems by Intelligent Backtracking , 1981, Inf. Process. Lett..

[19]  Keith S. Decker,et al.  Coordinated hospital patient scheduling , 1998, Proceedings International Conference on Multi Agent Systems (Cat. No.98EX160).

[20]  Richard J. Wallace,et al.  Analysis of Heuristic Methods for Partial Constraint Satisfaction Problems , 1996, CP.

[21]  Makoto Yokoo,et al.  The Distributed Constraint Satisfaction Problem: Formalization and Algorithms , 1998, IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng..

[22]  Edward M. Reingold,et al.  Backtrack programming techniques , 1975, CACM.

[23]  Bart Selman,et al.  An Empirical Study of Greedy Local Search for Satisfiability Testing , 1993, AAAI.

[24]  Jiming Liu.  Autonomous agents and multi-agent systems : explorations in learning, self-organization and adaptive computation , 2001 .

[25]  Makoto Yokoo,et al.  Distributed constraint satisfaction algorithm for complex local problems , 1998, Proceedings International Conference on Multi Agent Systems (Cat. No.98EX160).

[26]  Yuan Yan Tang,et al.  An evolutionary autonomous agents approach to image feature extraction , 1997, IEEE Trans. Evol. Comput..

[27]  Alan K. Mackworth.  Consistency in Networks of Relations , 1977, Artif. Intell..

[28]  Jacques Ferber,et al.  Multi-agent systems - an introduction to distributed artificial intelligence , 1999 .

[29]  Jacek Mandziuk.  Solving the N-Queens problem with a binary Hopfield-type network , 2004, Biological Cybernetics.

[30]  Chia-Hoang Lee,et al.  Comments on Mohr and Henderson's Path Consistency Algorithm , 1988, Artif. Intell..

[31]  Bart Selman,et al.  Local search strategies for satisfiability testing , 1993, Cliques, Coloring, and Satisfiability.

[32]  Eugene C. Freuder.  Backtrack-free and backtrack-bounded search , 1988 .

[33]  Eugene C. Freuder,et al.  Heuristic Methods for Over-Constrained Constraint Satisfaction Problems , 1995, Over-Constrained Systems.

[34]  Edmund H. Durfee,et al.  Scheduling high-level tasks among cooperative agents , 1998, Proceedings International Conference on Multi Agent Systems (Cat. No.98EX160).

[35]  Jin-Kao Hao,et al.  Tabu Search for Maximal Constraint Satisfaction Problems , 1997, CP.

[36]  Makoto Yokoo,et al.  Algorithms for Distributed Constraint Satisfaction: A Review , 2000, Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems.

[37]  Luca Maria Gambardella,et al.  Ant Algorithms for Discrete Optimization , 1999, Artificial Life.

[38]  David S. Johnson,et al.  An application of graph coloring to printed circuit testing , 1975, 16th Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (sfcs 1975).

[39]  John L. Hennessy,et al.  The priority-based coloring approach to register allocation , 1990, TOPL.

[40]  Richard J. Wallace,et al.  Partial Constraint Satisfaction , 1989, IJCAI.

[41]  Yuan Yan Tang,et al.  Adaptive Image Segmentation With Distributed Behavior-Based Agents , 1999, IEEE Trans. Pattern Anal. Mach. Intell..

[42]  J. Gaschnig.  Performance measurement and analysis of certain search algorithms. , 1979 .

[43]  Vipin Kumar,et al.  Algorithms for Constraint-Satisfaction Problems: A Survey , 1992, AI Mag..