Formal modelling of Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) is a challenging task due to high complexity, interaction, parallelism and continuous change of roles and organisation between agents. In this paper we record our research experience on formal modelling of MAS. We review our research throughout the last decade, by describing the problems we have encountered and the decisions we have made towards resolving them and providing solutions. Much of this work involved membrane computing and classes of P Systems, such as Tissue and Population P Systems, targeted to the modelling of MAS whose dynamic structure is a prominent characteristic. More particularly, social insects (such as colonies of ants, bees, etc.), biology inspired swarms and systems with emergent behaviour are indicative examples for which we developed formal MAS models. Here, we aim to review our work and disseminate our findings to fellow researchers who might face similar challenges and, furthermore, to discuss important issues for advancing research on the application of membrane computing in MAS modelling.
{"title":"Modelling of Multi-Agent Systems: Experiences with Membrane Computing and Future Challenges","authors":"P. Kefalas, I. Stamatopoulou","doi":"10.4204/EPTCS.33.5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.33.5","url":null,"abstract":"Formal modelling of Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) is a challenging task due to high complexity, interaction, parallelism and continuous change of roles and organisation between agents. In this paper we record our research experience on formal modelling of MAS. We review our research throughout the last decade, by describing the problems we have encountered and the decisions we have made towards resolving them and providing solutions. Much of this work involved membrane computing and classes of P Systems, such as Tissue and Population P Systems, targeted to the modelling of MAS whose dynamic structure is a prominent characteristic. More particularly, social insects (such as colonies of ants, bees, etc.), biology inspired swarms and systems with emergent behaviour are indicative examples for which we developed formal MAS models. Here, we aim to review our work and disseminate our findings to fellow researchers who might face similar challenges and, furthermore, to discuss important issues for advancing research on the application of membrane computing in MAS modelling.","PeriodicalId":118799,"journal":{"name":"AMCA-POP","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116956767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Metapopulations are models of ecological systems, describing the interactions and the behavior of populations that live in fragmented habitats. In this paper, we present a model of metapopulations based on the multivolume simulation algorithm tau-DPP, a stochastic class of membrane systems, that we utilize to investigate the influence that different habitat topologies can have on the local and global dynamics of metapopulations. In particular, we focus our analysis on the migration rate of individuals among adjacent patches, and on their capability of colonizing the empty patches in the habitat. We compare the simulation results obtained for each habitat topology, and conclude the paper with some proposals for other research issues concerning metapopulations.
{"title":"An Analysis on the Influence of Network Topologies on Local and Global Dynamics of Metapopulation Systems","authors":"D. Besozzi, P. Cazzaniga, D. Pescini, G. Mauri","doi":"10.4204/EPTCS.33.1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.33.1","url":null,"abstract":"Metapopulations are models of ecological systems, describing the interactions and the behavior of populations that live in fragmented habitats. In this paper, we present a model of metapopulations based on the multivolume simulation algorithm tau-DPP, a stochastic class of membrane systems, that we utilize to investigate the influence that different habitat topologies can have on the local and global dynamics of metapopulations. In particular, we focus our analysis on the migration rate of individuals among adjacent patches, and on their capability of colonizing the empty patches in the habitat. We compare the simulation results obtained for each habitat topology, and conclude the paper with some proposals for other research issues concerning metapopulations.","PeriodicalId":118799,"journal":{"name":"AMCA-POP","volume":"72 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115718346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Buti, F. Corradini, E. Merelli, E. Paschini, P. Penna, L. Tesei
We define an individual-based probabilistic model of a sole (Solea solea) behaviour. The individual model is given in terms of an Extended Probabilistic Discrete Timed Automaton (EPDTA), a new formalism that is introduced in the paper and that is shown to be interpretable as a Markov decision process. A given EPDTA model can be probabilistically model-checked by giving a suitable translation into syntax accepted by existing model-checkers. In order to simulate the dynamics of a given population of soles in different environmental scenarios, an agent-based simulation environment is defined in which each agent implements the behaviour of the given EPDTA model. By varying the probabilities and the characteristic functions embedded in the EPDTA model it is possible to represent different scenarios and to tune the model itself by comparing the results of the simulations with real data about the sole stock in the North Adriatic sea, available from the recent project SoleMon. The simulator is presented and made available for its adaptation to other species.
{"title":"An Individual-based Probabilistic Model for Fish Stock Simulation","authors":"F. Buti, F. Corradini, E. Merelli, E. Paschini, P. Penna, L. Tesei","doi":"10.4204/EPTCS.33.3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.33.3","url":null,"abstract":"We define an individual-based probabilistic model of a sole (Solea solea) behaviour. The individual model is given in terms of an Extended Probabilistic Discrete Timed Automaton (EPDTA), a new formalism that is introduced in the paper and that is shown to be interpretable as a Markov decision process. A given EPDTA model can be probabilistically model-checked by giving a suitable translation into syntax accepted by existing model-checkers. In order to simulate the dynamics of a given population of soles in different environmental scenarios, an agent-based simulation environment is defined in which each agent implements the behaviour of the given EPDTA model. By varying the probabilities and the characteristic functions embedded in the EPDTA model it is possible to represent different scenarios and to tune the model itself by comparing the results of the simulations with real data about the sole stock in the North Adriatic sea, available from the recent project SoleMon. The simulator is presented and made available for its adaptation to other species.","PeriodicalId":118799,"journal":{"name":"AMCA-POP","volume":"103 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128589210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thomas Anung Basuki, A. Cerone, R. Barbuti, A. Maggiolo-Schettini, P. Milazzo, E. Rossi
We present a methodology for modelling population dynamics with formal means of computer science. This allows unambiguous description of systems and application of analysis tools such as simulators and model checkers. In particular, the dynamics of a population of Aedes albopictus (a species of mosquito) and its modelling with the Stochastic Calculus of Looping Sequences (Stochastic CLS) are considered. The use of Stochastic CLS to model population dynamics requires an extension which allows environmental events (such as changes in the temperature and rainfalls) to be taken into account. A simulator for the constructed model is developed via translation into the specification language Maude, and used to compare the dynami cs obtained from the model with real data.
{"title":"Modelling the Dynamics of an Aedes albopictus Population","authors":"Thomas Anung Basuki, A. Cerone, R. Barbuti, A. Maggiolo-Schettini, P. Milazzo, E. Rossi","doi":"10.4204/EPTCS.33.2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.33.2","url":null,"abstract":"We present a methodology for modelling population dynamics with formal means of computer science. This allows unambiguous description of systems and application of analysis tools such as simulators and model checkers. In particular, the dynamics of a population of Aedes albopictus (a species of mosquito) and its modelling with the Stochastic Calculus of Looping Sequences (Stochastic CLS) are considered. The use of Stochastic CLS to model population dynamics requires an extension which allows environmental events (such as changes in the temperature and rainfalls) to be taken into account. A simulator for the constructed model is developed via translation into the specification language Maude, and used to compare the dynami cs obtained from the model with real data.","PeriodicalId":118799,"journal":{"name":"AMCA-POP","volume":"63 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130360652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper presents an efficient program for checking Mendel ian consistency in a pedigree. Sincepedigrees may contain incomplete and/or erroneous information, geneticists need to pre-processthem before performing linkage analysis. Removing superflu ous genotypes that do not respect theMendelian inheritance laws can speed up the linkage analysis. We have described in a formal waythe Mendelian consistency problem and algorithms known in literature. The formalization helpedto polish the algorithms and to find efficient data structures . The performance of the tool has beentested on a wide range of benchmarks. The results are promising if compared to other programs thattreat Mendelian consistency.
{"title":"Celer: an Efficient Program for Genotype Elimination","authors":"N. Francesco, G. Lettieri, L. Martini","doi":"10.4204/EPTCS.33.4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4204/EPTCS.33.4","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents an efficient program for checking Mendel ian consistency in a pedigree. Sincepedigrees may contain incomplete and/or erroneous information, geneticists need to pre-processthem before performing linkage analysis. Removing superflu ous genotypes that do not respect theMendelian inheritance laws can speed up the linkage analysis. We have described in a formal waythe Mendelian consistency problem and algorithms known in literature. The formalization helpedto polish the algorithms and to find efficient data structures . The performance of the tool has beentested on a wide range of benchmarks. The results are promising if compared to other programs thattreat Mendelian consistency.","PeriodicalId":118799,"journal":{"name":"AMCA-POP","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2010-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124875566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}