文档介绍：Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Sytems, 9, 145–189, 2004
Ó 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Manufactured in herlands.
From a Conceptual Framework for Agents
and Objects to a Multi-Agent System
Modeling Language
VIVIANE TORRES DA SILVA AND CARLOS J. P. DE LUCENA {viviane,lucena}***@-
Department puter Science, PUC-Rio, SoC+Agent Group, Rua Marques de Sa˜o Vicente, 225 Ed. Pe
Leonel Franca, 13o andar, 22453-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Abstract. In this paper we propose a multi-agent system modeling language (MAS-ML) that extends
UML (Unified Modeling Language) based on structural and dynamic properties presented in a conceptual
framework (metamodel) called Taming Agents and Objects (TAO). Our focus is the adaptation according
to TAO concepts of the static Class diagram and the interaction Sequence diagram proposed by UML.
These two diagrams have been chosen because they are the monly used and because it is possible
to use them to illustrate both the structural and dynamic aspects of TAO metamodel. We propose a
conservative extension of the UML metamodel, which includes agent-related notions that are part of the
TAO conceptual framework while preserving all object-related concepts, which constitute the UML
metamodel. The main difference between our approach and the others presented in the literature is the
clear definition and representation of the elements pose MASs and their corresponding behavior.
In order to extend UML with TAO non-object concepts, it is not possible to use only the three basic
extensions mechanisms provided by UML and new metaclasses and stereotypes have been created and
associated with the UML metamodel.
Keywords: multi-agent system, UML, modeling language, metamodel, conceptual framework.
1. Introduction
Multi-agent systems (MAS) are gaining wide acceptance in both industry and
academia as a powerful paradigm for designing and developing software systems.
Since MAS differs from object-oriented systems, the ess