Dynamic Scheduling Mechanism Design in Multi-Agent Systems

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This research program is concerned with the design of dynamic scheduling mechanisms for multi-agent systems. Multi-agent systems scheduling can be seen as an abstraction of the decentralized scheduling problems arising in the context of Internet-based supply chain (e-Supply Chain) management, manufacturing, information processing and other service industries. Scheduling is an important research field of great practical interests. It is a core technology that enables time-based competition in today's highly competitive global markets. Our long term objective is to advance the theoretical foundation of MAS scheduling and provide engineering tools for developing MAS scheduling systems in supply chain management, manufacturing and services applications. In the period of the next five years, our main research activities include: (1) design of a backtracking iterative auction for dynamic MAS scheduling: This auction-based scheduling mechanism will enable reactive scheduling in game theoretic setting; (2) design of dynamic bidding Languages: The languages will enhance the expressiveness of previously developed requirement-based bidding languages for MAS scheduling to represent agents' backtracking preferences; and (3) design of responsive winner determination: We will design optimal and approximate winner determination algorithms to ensure responsiveness in dynamic MAS scheduling. The outcomes of this research program will provide theoretical and engineering foundations for designing automated scheduling systems for those inherently decentralized industrial application. We anticipate this research to contribute to the development of dynamic scheduling components in large scale internet-based trading systems and strengthen the time-based competitive advantage of Canadian industries. From academic research perspective, attempting to tackle scheduling problems in a dynamic strategic setting, we address algorithmic and strategic challenges at the interface of mechanism design, and scheduling theory. This research program will enrich the existing understanding of complexity issues in applying economic models to the domain of scheduling. It also advances scheduling research in terms of extending classic centralized models to decentralized and dynamic ones.