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问题。多智能体系统调度可以看作是基于互联网的供应链(e-Supply Chain)管理、制造、信息处理等服务行业背景下出现的分散调度问题的抽象。调度问题是一个极具实用价值的重要研究领域。它是一项核心技术，能够在当今竞争激烈的全球市场中实现基于时间的竞争。*我们的长期目标是推进MAS调度的理论基础，并为在供应链管理、制造和服务应用中开发MAS调度系统提供工程工具。在接下来的五年里，我们的主要研究工作包括：(1)设计一种面向动态MAS调度的回溯迭代拍卖：这种基于拍卖的调度机制将在博弈论环境下实现反应式调度：(2)动态竞价语言的设计：这些语言将增强先前开发的基于需求的MAS调度竞价语言的表达能力，以表示代理的回溯偏好；响应优胜者确定算法的设计：我们将设计最优和近似优胜者确定算法，以确保动态MAS调度的响应性。*本研究项目的成果将为设计适合于那些本质上分散的工业应用的自动调度系统提供理论和工程基础。我们期待这项研究有助于开发大规模基于互联网的交易系统中的动态调度组件，并加强加拿大行业基于时间的竞争优势。从学术研究的角度，试图在动态的战略环境下解决调度问题，我们在机制设计和调度理论的界面上解决了算法和战略上的挑战。这一研究计划将丰富现有对将经济模型应用于调度领域中的复杂性问题的理解。在将经典的集中式调度模型扩展到分散式和动态调度模型方面，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.**