Introductory Essay of MAS&S'09

Multi-agent systems (MASs) provide powerful models for representing real-world applications with an appropriate degree of complexity and dynamism. Several industrial experiences have already shown that the use of MAS offers advantages in many different areas such as manufacturing processes, e-Commerce, network management, etc. As MASs in such contexts need to be tested before their deployment and execution, methodologies that support validation through simulation (e.g. discrete-event simulation, agent-based simulation, etc.) of the MAS under development are highly required. In fact, simulation of a MAS cannot only demonstrate that a MAS correctly behaves according to its specifications but can also support the analysis of emergent properties of the MAS undertest. In this context, MAS&S’09 aims at providing a forum for discussing recent advances about the integration of Agent-Based Simulation (ABS) and Agent Oriented Software Engineering (AOSE) methodologies and techniques for the analysis, design, validation and implementation of MASs.