In order to effectively develop multi-agent systems (MAS) software, a set of models, technologies and tools are needed to support flexible and precise specification and implementation of agent-to-agent conversations, standardized conversation protocols, and corresponding agent behaviors. Experience trying to build complex protocols with the ZEUS and JADE agent toolkits motivated a substantial e...

What factors are relevant in determining why agents remain employed in Extension? This article discusses the implications of maintenance and motivation factors on Extension agent turnover. It describes motivator and maintenance factors affecting job satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and their influence on agent turnover. Professional associations offer agents the motivation factors discussed in...

Agent UML (AUML) is an extension of the standard objectoriented modelling language UML adapted for agent-based systems. In AUML sequence diagrams are extended to describe specific dynamic aspects of agents including dynamic role assignment, nondeterministic choice in agent decisions and concurrent communication. These diagrams are used to describe agent interaction protocols. We describe some o...

Models using the Rational Expectations Hypothesis (REH) are widely recognized to be inconsistent with the observed behavior of premia in financial markets, as well as other features of asset price dynamics. Moreover, many reasons have been advanced as to why the REH cannot generally represent, even approximately, the expectations behavior of individually rational agents. In this paper, we devel...

This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for improvements. Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state and status of this protocol. Distribution of this memo is unlimited. Abstract This document specifies a new extension for use in M...