Going beyond BDI for agent-based simulation

• Main Author: John Bruntse Larsen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2019-10-01
• Series: Journal of Information and Telecommunication
• Subjects: multi-agent systems; logic; simulation
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/24751839.2019.1620024

Research in multi-agent systems has resulted in agent programming languages and logics that are used as a foundation for engineering multi-agent systems. Research includes reusable agent programming platforms for engineering agent systems with environments, agent behaviour, communication protocols and social behaviour, and work on verification. Agent-based simulation is an approach for simulation that also uses the notion of agents. Although agent programming languages and logics are much less used in agent-based simulation, there are successful examples with agents designed according to the BDI paradigm, and work that combines agent-based simulation platforms with agent programming platforms. This paper analyses and evaluates benefits of using agent programming languages and logics for agent-based simulation. In particular, the paper considers the use of agent programming languages and logics in a case study of simulating emergency care units.