MAS @ ICLP'99

Multi-Agent Systems (MASs) have recently become a prominent area in computing. MASs are communities of problem-solving entities that can perceive and act upon their environments to achieve their individual goals as well as joint goals. The work on such systems integrates many technologies and concepts in artificial intelligence, logic programming and other areas of computing. There is a full spectrum of MAS applications that have been and are being developed; from search engines to educational aids to electronic commerce and trade.

Logic, in general, and logic programming, in particular, have important roles to play in the conceptualisation and development of MASs. They can play a part in the representation of individual agents, for example:

• the formalisation of their knowledge, beliefs and goals,
• their perception of the environment,
• their reasoning component,
• the construction of plans, and
• the generation of timely and appropriate reactions to the environment and the other agents.

Moreover, logic and logic programming can play a part in the representation of MASs, for:

• the formalisation of the reasoning of agents about other agents' goals and beliefs,
  communication and communication protocols amongst agents,
• the process of negotiation amongst agents with conflicting plans or goals, and
• the grouping of agents in teams with joint goals, whose emergent behaviour goes beyond the behaviour of the individual agents composing the team.

The aim of this workshop is to explore the application of Logic Programming to Multi-Agent Systems. The focus of the workshop will be on multi-agent rather than single agent issues, with emphasis on co-operative and conflicting agents, where there could be common and joint goals as well as goals for individual agents. In such contexts, reasoning about other agents' goals and beliefs, communication, negotiation, belief revision and conflict resolution could be essential for the achievement of the goals of the agents.

Within this context, this workshop shall bring together researchers to discuss the following topics:

• MAS organization and hierarchies (What structures are used for organizing communication and knowledge sharing?)
• MAS communication ontologies (How do agents understand each other? Protocols. Syntax. Semantics.)
• Models of MAS social interaction (How do agents, acting on behalf of humans, interact with humans?)
• Conflict resolution amongst agents
• Co-operative planning and execution

We invite contributions on the development of MAS techniques within logic programming, including the above.