On identifying and managing relationships in multi-agent systems

An extension and application of the original SMART agent framework described in Understanding Agent Systems. Defined formally, it specifies a model of social relationships that is application-neutral and provides the mechanism to identify when and how relationships should be managed in multi-agent systems. Using Z, the model has been automatically checked for type and syntax correctness. It demonstrates the soundness of the original framework in providing the foundation for elaborating new theories of social systems. IJCAI is the leading AI conference and in 2003 there was an acceptance rate of 20.7%. Reviewed by 3 international reviewers.