Innovative Concepts for Agent-Based Systems

This collection represents the proceedings of the 1st GSFC/JPL Workshop on Radical Agent Concepts (WRAC), which was held on 16-18 January, 2002 at the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Conference Center in McLean, VA, USA. Over the past few years, agent technologyhas emerged as a powerful force in computing. Agent technology may well form the foundation for the next gen- ation of computing systems. New and innovative agent concepts and techniques may bring further developments to this exploding area of research. Such work is often strongly inspired by theoretical or empirical studies of human behavior, social intelligence, psychology, arts, biology, computer science and philosophy. Thisworkshopaimedatbringingtogether,inaninterdisciplinaryevent,or- inal thinkers, practitioners and academics with an interest in radical (very - novative) concepts for agent-based systems. The workshop provided a forum to present the latest research?ndings in many aspects of agent technology. The - ganizers welcomed participation by those working in agent architectures, agent communities, agent communications, agent modeling, agent applications and other agent-related areas. We were particularly seeking papers on novel and - novative ideas, pushing the envelope of current agent technology. Contributions without a prototype or working system, i.e., purely conceptual contributions, were welcomed, and "out-of-the-box" thinkers were especially encouraged to participate. The workshop was structured so as to allow the participants adequate time for discussion and interaction, to exchange ideas and re?ect on the motivations, scienti?c grounds and practical consequences of the concepts presented.