Multi-agent collaboration in time-constrained domains

Timeliness is usually an indispensable attribute of planning and problem solving for resource allocation in command, control and communication (C3) systems. The success of such a system is judged on its ability to respond to scheduled and unscheduled tasks within a permissible time period. The response is based on a plan that covers the following activities: resource allocation, plan execution and monitoring and dynamic plan mending, if necessary. Decision making for resource selection can become very time consuming when there are many resources and the number of constraints is large. In a changing environment of multiple agents, restrictive organizational structures and strict communication protocols may cause intolerable further delays.