Multi-agent systems: An introduction to distributed artificial intelligence [Paperback]

Jacques Ferber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 1999

In this book, Jacques Ferber has brought together all the recent developments in the field of multi-agent systems - an area that has seen increasing interest and major developments over the last few years. The author draws on work carried out in various disciplines, including information technology, sociology and cognitive psychology to provide a coherent and instructive picture of the current state-of-the-art. The book introduces and defines the fundamental concepts that need to be understood, clearly describes the work that has been done, and invites readers to reflect upon the possibilities of the future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Jacques Ferber guides his readers responsibly and engagingly through the best of classical AI-based agent research while opening their eyes to a powerful new version of swarm-based intelligence. I know of no other book on agents...that matches its coprehensive treatment and clear, enjoyable exposition."
Van Parunak
Centre for Electronic Commerce


"Jacques Ferber can legitimately claim to be one of the founders of the discipline that is today known as multi-agent systems. In Multi-Agent Systems, he draws on over a decade of experience as a first-rate researcher and teacher in order to set out a coherent, unified view of the field. The end result is a readable and comprehensive textbook, that will be enthusiastically received by a growing and increasingly important discipline."
Mike Wooldridge,
Queen Mary and Westfield College



"This book is easily the most comprehensive textbook on multi-agent systems and collective intelligence that I have seen. Not only does it provide very broad and insightful perspectives on such core topics as agent interaction, coordination, communication, and self-organization; it also offers the reader a number of novel and pragmatic techniques for modeling and developing complex multitasking operational systems."

(Dr.) Innes A. Ferguson,
Active On-line Systems

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional (February 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201360489
• ISBN-13: 978-0201360486
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,741,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars a confusing read, March 11, 2002

By 

Doctor M Tarver (Leeds, Yorkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multi-agent systems: An introduction to distributed artificial intelligence (Paperback)

Ferber's book is a confusing read for anybody approaching the subject for the first time. He attempts to categorise multiagent systems, but many of his key terms are vague. The
accumulation of distinctions without overall purpose becomes
irritating. Despite all the classification, there is no clear overall taxonomy and no hard code. Organisation is poor. A clear taxonomy and a detailed study of an implementation for each category plus code would have made a much better book. There is useful stuff here, but finding it is like looking for matching socks in a laundry bin.

4.0 out of 5 stars I used the ideas from this book in my own program, August 29, 2006

By 

Meir Ben David "You will bring light unto the... (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multi-agent systems: An introduction to distributed artificial intelligence (Paperback)

I read some other reviews about this book saying that it is confusing, etc. I was not confused. I found this book very interesting, although it is not what I originally thought it would be. Ultimately, I used ideas from this book combined with the ideas from generative programming to solve a programming problem quite successfully.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Horrible Translation, April 2, 2002

By 

Jeff Sullivan (Ithaca, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Multi-agent systems: An introduction to distributed artificial intelligence (Paperback)

This book was originally written in French, and whoever translated it was not paying attention when they did so. Horrible grammar and word usage mistakes detract from what would already be only a fair book. The stated purpose of the book is to unify various theories and approaches to multi-agent systems, and to this end uses a large array of redundant terminology.

I do not recommend this book at all.