Coordination of internet agents

As today's most complex computing environment, the Internet confronts IT researchers, system designers, and application developers with completely new challenges and, as a fascinating new computing paradigm, agent technology bas recently attracted broad interest and strong hopes for shaping the future information society. Relating both, the Internet and agents, opens up a whole new range of advanced applications in vibrant subfields of information technology such as middieware, mobile commerce, e-learning, collaborative working, and intelligent information services. Many modern advanced systems are likely to exploit Internet agents - and exploiting Internet agents mostly means dealing with coordination models and technologies of various sorts.
This monograph-like anthology is the first systematic guide to models and enabling technologies for the coordination of intelligent agents on the Internet and to respective applications. The coherently written chapters by leading authorities in the field provide complete coverage of ail relevant issues; highly motivating introductions to each part of the book and a comprehensive bibliography round off the presentation. The book addresses ambitioned practitioners and researchers in information and agent technology and advanced students in computer science and electronic engineering.

Contents

• Coordination models and languages : State of the art
• Basic enabling technologies
• High-level enabling coordination technologies
• Emerging issues of coordination
• Applications of coordination technology
• Visions
• References
• About the authors
• List of contributors