School of Electronics and Computer Science:
COMP6006 Intelligent Agents
Basic Information
| School | |
|---|---|
| Known as | COMP6006. |
| Session and Semester | Semester Two, 2011 - 2012 |
| Credit | 20 Credit Points |
| Unit Leader | Dr Alex Rogers |
| Teachers | Dr. Maria Polukarov |
| Moderators | Dr Enrico H Gerding |
| Study | |
| Assessment | 60% examination, 40% coursework |
| Coursework | Design an intelligent agent for an on-line trading competition |
| Teaching | 24 lectures plus directed reading |
| Referral | On referral, this unit will be assessed 100% by examination. |
| Syllabus Approved |
Description
Aims
This unit gives a broad introduction to the new and rapidly expanding field of agent-based computing. It introduces the key concepts and models of the field: dealing both with the individual agents and with their interactions. Particular emphasis is placed on automated negotiation, cooperation and on-line auctions
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed the module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
At the end of the course, the student should:
- appreciate the role of agent based computing in software development
- understand the key models of individual and social behaviour.
Intellectual Skills
Having successfully completed the module, you will be able to:
At the end of the course, the student should:
- be able to evaluate the suitability of an agent-based approach to a given problem.
Practical Skills
Having successfully completed the module, you will be able to:
At the end of the course, the student should:
- be able to design an agent-based system.
Topics Covered
- Introduction to agent-based computing
- Motivations for agent-based computing
- Key concepts and models
- Agent architectures (deliberative, reactive, hybrid)
- Rational decision making (decision theoretic, belief-desire-intention)
- Mobile agents
- Agent Interactions
- Coordination (organisation models, social laws, social dependencies)
- Cooperation (team-oriented problem solving, coalition formation)
- Negotiation (mechanism design, heuristic models, argumentation)
- Computational markets (auctions, competition)
- Agent-Oriented Software Engineering
- Benefits and Potential Drawbacks
- Agent Methodologies
- Application Case Studies (agent-mediated electronic commerce, business process management, telecommunications network management)
Teaching and learning activities
Teaching methods include
Lectures (2 per week) are used to introduce the material
Learning activities include
- Directed reading from an extensive selection of articles and books.
- Practical work on the design and implementation of an intelligent agent for an on-line trading competition.
Methods of assessment
| Assessment method | Number | % contribution to final mark |
|---|---|---|
| Exam [exam] | 1 | 60 |
| Coursework [cwork] | 1 | 40 |
Resources
Core Resources
- M.J.Wooldridge, An introduction to multi-agent systems. Wiley (2002)
Notes
Resources
An extensive selection of articles and books will be provided for directed reading purposes.
Taught to
COMP6006
Pt IV MEng Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence (Optional)Pt IV MEng Computer Science (Optional)
Pt IV MEng Computer Science with Distributed Systems & Networks (Optional)
Pt IV MEng Computer Science with Image and Multimedia Systems (Optional)
MSc in Artificial Intelligence (Optional)
MSc in Software Engineering (Optional)
MSc in Web Technology (Optional)
Pt IV Mcomp IT in Org (Optional)
Pt IV MEng Software Engineering (Optional)
Students who are not registered on an ECS approved programme may take this module subject to meeting its pre-requisites and the availability of resources. To confirm this, please can you contact the module leader (as listed above) in the first instance. They will then refer you on to the appropriate director of studies for formal approval of your selection.