Dynamic Scheduling Mechanism Design in Multi-Agent Systems

本课题主要研究多智能体系统的动态调度机制设计。多智能体系统调度可以看作是基于互联网的供应链管理、制造业、信息处理等服务行业中出现的分散调度问题的一种抽象。调度是一个具有重大现实意义的重要研究领域。它是在当今竞争激烈的全球市场中实现基于时间的竞争的核心技术。***我们的长期目标是推进MAS调度的理论基础，并为开发供应链管理，制造和服务应用中的MAS调度系统提供工程工具。在未来五年内，我们的主要研究工作包括：(1)设计一种用于MAS动态调度的回溯迭代拍卖机制：这种基于拍卖的调度机制将实现博弈论环境下的响应式调度；(2)动态投标语言的设计：该语言将增强先前开发的基于需求的MAS调度投标语言的表达能力，以表示agent的回溯偏好；(3)响应式赢家确定设计：设计最优和近似的赢家确定算法，以确保动态MAS调度的响应性。本研究计划的成果将为设计自动化调度系统提供理论和工程基础，以适应那些固有的分散工业应用。我们期望这项研究有助于大规模互联网交易系统中动态调度组件的发展，并加强加拿大工业基于时间的竞争优势。从学术研究的角度出发，试图解决动态战略环境下的调度问题，从机制设计和调度理论两个方面解决算法和战略挑战。本研究项目将丰富现有的复杂性问题的理解，将经济模型应用于调度领域。在将经典的集中式模型扩展到分散的和动态的调度模型方面，也推进了调度研究

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.**