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Representing Social Structures in UML

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Agent-Oriented Software Engineering II (AOSE 2001)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 2222))

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Abstract

From a software engineering perspective, agent systems are a spe-cialization of object-oriented (OO) systems, in which individual objects have their own threads of control and their own goals or sense of purpose. Engineer-ing such systems is most naturally approached as an extension of object-oriented systems engineering. In particular, the Unified Modeling Language (UML) can be naturally extended to support the distinctive requirements of multi-agent systems. One such requirement results from the increasing emphasis on the cor-respondence between multi-agent systems and social systems. Sociological analogies are proving fruitful models for agent-oriented constructions, while so-ciologists increasingly use agents as a modeling tool for studying social sys-tems. We combine several existing organizational models for agents, including AALAADIN, dependency theory, interaction protocols, and holonics, in a general theoretical framework, and show how UML can be applied and extended to capture constructions in that framework.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ERIM, PO Box 13400 1, 48113-4001, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    H. Van Dyke Parunak

  2. James Odell Associates, 3646, 48103-9489, West Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    James J. Odell

Authors
  1. H. Van Dyke Parunak
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  2. James J. Odell
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, The University of Liverpool, Chadwick Building, Peach Street, L69 7ZF, Liverpool, UK

    Michael J. Wooldridge

  2. Technische Universität München, Institut für Informatik, 80290, München, Germany

    Gerhard Weiß

  3. Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Informazione, University of Bologna, Mura Anteo Zamboni 7, 40127, Bologna, Italy

    Paolo Ciancarini

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© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Van Dyke Parunak, H., Odell, J.J. (2002). Representing Social Structures in UML. In: Wooldridge, M.J., Weiß, G., Ciancarini, P. (eds) Agent-Oriented Software Engineering II. AOSE 2001. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2222. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-70657-7_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-70657-7_1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43282-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-70657-1

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