Task: Define Agent Model
Task sourced from Gaia
Purpose
The purpose of this task is to identify the agent classes that will make up the system and the agent instances that will be instantiated from these classes.
Relationships
RolesPrimary Performer: Additional Performers:
InputsMandatory:
    		Optional:
    • None
    Outputs
      Process Usage
      Main Description
      There may be a one-to-one correspondence between roles and agent types, although a number of closely related roles can be mapped into in the same agent class for the purposes of convenience or efficiency.

      Such a correspondence naturally derives from the methodological process that was adopted in which, especially during the identification of the organizational structure, the concept of role has implicitly assumed ever greater concreteness.

      However, a designer can choose to package a number of closely related and strongly interacting roles in the same agent class for the purposes of convenience, after ensuring that (i) the organizational efficiency is not affected, (ii) bounded rationality problems do not emerge, and (iii) this does not violate organizational rules.

      There is obviously a trade-off between the coherence of an agent class (how easily its functionality can be understood), the efficiency considerations, and the need to minimize mismatches with the real-world organization that the system intends to support.

      See Developing multiagent systems: The Gaia methodology (p. 361-362)  for more information about this task.

      Steps
      Defining Agent Class

      Identify agent classes and specify, for each agent class, which roles will map to it.
      Defining Agent Instance
      Specify  the instances of each  class that will appear in the MAS.
      Illustrations
      Examples
      Key Considerations
      The agent model is of use in driving the static assignment of roles to agent classes. If the MAS  implementation adopts a framework enabling agents to dynamically assume roles,  the concept of agent class of Gaia (and so the Gaia Agent Model) would no longer be of use.
      More Information
      Supporting Materials
      Whitepapers