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From version 7.1
edited by Andrea Omicini
on 10/08/2021 16:45
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To version 4.1
edited by Andrea Omicini
on 10/08/2021 16:42
Change comment: There is no comment for this version

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... ... @@ -7,36 +7,37 @@
7 7  
8 8  A tuple centre is a tuple space enhanced with the possibility to program its behaviour in response to interactions.
9 9  ##
10 -First of all, coordinated entities (//#respect() agents//, henceforth, or simply //agents//) can operate on a #respect() tuple centre in the same way as on a standard Linda tuple space: by exchanging //tuples//which are ordered collection of knowledge chunksthrough a simple set of coordination primitive.
10 +First of all, coordinated entities (//#respect() agents//, henceforth, or simply //agents//) can operate on a #respect() tuple centre in the same way as on a standard Linda tuple space: by exchanging //tuples// — which are ordered collection of knowledge chunks — through a simple set of coordination primitive.
11 11  ##
12 12  So, an agent can write a tuple in a tuple centre with an #code("out") primitive; or read a tuple from a tuple centre with primitives such as #code("in"), #code("rd"), #code("inp"), #code("rdp") specifying a tuple template - that is, an identifier for a set of tuples, according to some tuple matching mechanism.
13 13  ##
14 14  Reading tuples can be
15 -* //destructive// #code("in"), #code("inp") remove the matching tuple or //non-destructive// #code("rd"), #code("rdp") simply read the matching tuple
16 -* //suspensive// #code("in"), #code("rd") wait until a matching tuple is found or //non-suspensive// #code("inp"), #code("rdp") immediately return either the matching tuple or a failure result
17 -
15 +* //destructive// — #code("in"), #code("inp") remove the matching tuple — or //non-destructive// — #code("rd"), #code("rdp") simply read the matching tuple
16 +* //suspensive// — #code("in"), #code("rd") wait until a matching tuple is found — or //non-suspensive// — #code("inp"), #code("rdp") immediately return either the matching tuple or a failure result
17 +<p/>
18 18  but is anyway always //non-deterministic//: when more than one tuple in a tuple centre are found that match a tuple template, one is non-deterministically chosen among them and returned.
19 -
19 +<p/>
20 20  Accordingly, a tuple centre enjoys all the many features of a tuple space, which can be classified along three different dimensions:
21 +
21 21  * generative communication
22 22  * associative access
23 23  * suspensive semantics
24 -
25 +<p/>
25 25  The main features of //generative communication// (where information generated has an independent life with respect to the generator) are the forms of uncoupling (space, time, name) based on mediated interaction: sender and receiver do not need to know each other, to coexist in the same space or at the same time in order to communicate (to exchange a tuple, in particular), and more generally, to interact.
26 26  ##
27 27  //Associative access// (access based on structure and content of information exchanged, rather than on location, or on name) based on tuple matching promotes synchronisation based on tuple structure and content: thus, coordination is data-driven, and allows for knowledge-based coordination patterns.
28 28  ##
29 29  Finally, //suspensive semantics// promotes coordination patterns based on knowledge availability, and couples well with incomplete, partial knowledge.
30 -
31 -Even more, while the basic tuple centre model is independent of the type of tuple, #respect() tuple centres adopt logic tuples both tuples and tuple templates are essentially Prolog //facts// and logic //unification// is used as the tuple-matching mechanism.
31 +<p/>
32 +Even more, while the basic tuple centre model is independent of the type of tuple, #respect() tuple centres adopt logic tuples &mdash; both tuples and tuple templates are essentially Prolog //facts// &mdash; and logic //unification// is used as the tuple-matching mechanism.
32 32  ##
33 -So, for instance, an agent #code("ag1") performing operation #code("we ? in(activity(ag1,CaseID))") on tuple centre #code("we") containing tuples #code("activity(ag1,c16)") and #code("activity(ag2,c22)") will be returned tuple #code("activity(ag1,c16)")the one unifying with the templateremoved from #code("we").
34 +So, for instance, an agent #code("ag1") performing operation #code("we ? in(activity(ag1,CaseID))") on tuple centre #code("we") containing tuples #code("activity(ag1,c16)") and #code("activity(ag2,c22)") will be returned tuple #code("activity(ag1,c16)") &mdash; the one unifying with the template &mdash; removed from #code("we").
34 34  ##
35 -Since the overall content of a tuple centre is a multiset of logic facts, it has a twofold interpretation as either a collection of messages, or a (logic) //theory of communication// among agentsthus promoting in principle forms of //reasoning about communication//.
36 -
36 +Since the overall content of a tuple centre is a multiset of logic facts, it has a twofold interpretation as either a collection of messages, or a (logic) //theory of communication// among agents &mdash; thus promoting in principle forms of //reasoning about communication//.
37 +<p/>
37 37  Finally, a tuple centre is a programmable tuple space, so as to add //programmability// of the coordination medium as a new dimension of coordination.
38 38  ##
39 -While the behaviour of a tuple space in response to interaction events is fixed so, the effects of coordination primitives is fixed , the behaviour of a tuple centre can be tailored to the system needs by defining a set of specification tuples, or reactions, which determine how a tuple centre should react to incoming / outgoing events.
40 +While the behaviour of a tuple space in response to interaction events is fixed &mdash; so, the effects of coordination primitives is fixed &mdash;, the behaviour of a tuple centre can be tailored to the system needs by defining a set of specification tuples, or reactions, which determine how a tuple centre should react to incoming / outgoing events.
40 40  ##
41 41  While the basic tuple centre model is not bound to any specific language to define reactions, #respect() tuple centres are obviously programmed through the #respect() logic-based specification language.
42 42  
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45 45  The original #respect() is a logic-based language for the specification of the behaviour of tuple centre.
46 46  ##
47 47  As a behaviour specification language, #respect():
49 +
50 +
48 48  * enables the definition of computations within a tuple centre, called reactions, and
49 49  * makes it possible to associate reactions to events occurring in a tuple centre.
50 -
53 +<p/>
51 51  So, #respect() has both a declarative and a procedural part.
52 52  ##
53 53  As a specification language, it allows events to be declaratively associated to reactions by means of specific logic tuples, called specification tuples, whose form is #code("reaction(E,R)").
... ... @@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
59 59  A reaction as a whole succeeds if all its reaction goals succeed, and fails otherwise.
60 60  ##
61 61  Each reaction is executed sequentially with a transactional semantics: so, a failed reaction has no effect on the state of a logic tuple centre.
62 -
65 +<p/>
63 63  All the reactions triggered by an event are executed before serving any other event: so, agents perceive the result of serving the event and executing all the associated reactions altogether as a single transition of the tuple centre state.
64 64  ##
65 65  As a result, the effect of a coordination primitive on a logic tuple centre can be made as complex as needed by the coordination requirements of a system.
... ... @@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
67 67  Generally speaking, since #respect() has been shown to be Turing-equivalent, any computable coordination law could be in principle encapsulated into a #respect() tuple centre.
68 68  ##
69 69  This is why #respect() can be assumed as a general-purpose core language for coordination: a language that could then be used to represent and enact policies and rules for coordination systems of any sort.
70 -
73 +<p/>
71 71  Adopting the declarative interpretation of logic tuples, a #respect() tuple centre has then a twofold nature a //theory of communication// (the set of the ordinary tuples) and a //theory of coordination// (the set of the specification tuples).
72 72  ##
73 73  In principle, this allows intelligent agents to reason about the state of collaboration activities, and to possibly affect their dynamics.

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