Edited By
Michael Huhns
Munindar Singh
Description
The world of agents comprises a broad range of intelligent programs that perform specific tasks on behalf of their users. Agents are
distinguished from other types of software by their status as independent entities capable of completing complex assignments without
intervention, rather than as tools that must be manipulated by a user. Largely the province of speculation before the early 1990s,
agent research has flourished since the advent of the Internet, which has created an ideal operating environment.
This important collection
unifies the extensive recent literature on agent technology, presenting a wealth of the finest published papers on both theory and applications.
Huhns and Singh have drawn on research communities in AI, databases, distributed computing, and programming languages to assemble the
most comprehensive overview of the agent world available. The editors add a summary of the field and its terminology, history, and major
issues, together with introductions to each of the thematic chapters and discussions of the significance and context of the individual
papers.
Focuses on:
+ applications of agents
+ classical techniques for agent construction
+ theory for modeling and understanding
agents
+ intellectual frontiers in agent science.
Researchers, practitioners, and students will gain the essential background and
perspective needed to understand and appreciate current and future agent research.
