Abstract:
A dynamic and flexible information system often involves the joint
cooperation of a network of distributed problem solvers, each of which
may be specialised for a specific task or problem domain.

An agent architecture can support the requirement associated with
disparate problem solvers. The various stakeholders in the process are
represented by software agents which can collaborate with each other
toward achieving a particular goal.  The communication between agents
can be accomplished by using interaction protocols which are represented
by coloured Petri nets (CPN).  In this talk, I describe an approach for
providing this support by employing a software agent framework for the
modelling and execution of process tasks in a networked environment.

The talk is based on a paper that was recently presented at the iEMS
2002 conference (1).

(1) Purvis, M. K., Hwang, P., Purvis, M. A., Cranefield, S. J., and
Schievink, M., "Interaction Protocols for a Network of Environmental
Problem Solvers", Proceedings of the 2002 iEMSs  International Meeting:
Integrated Assessment and Decision Support (iEMSs  2002), The
International Environmental Modelling and Software Society, Lugano,
Switzerland (2002).