The Insufficiency of Formal Design Methods " The Necessity of an Experimental Approach - for the Understanding and Control of Complex MAS

  • Authors:
  • Bruce Edmonds;Joanna J. Bryson

  • Affiliations:
  • Manchester Metropolitan University;University of Bath

  • Venue:
  • AAMAS '04 Proceedings of the Third International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems - Volume 2
  • Year:
  • 2004

Quantified Score

Hi-index 0.00

Visualization

Abstract

We highlight the limitations of formal methods by exhibiting two results in recursive function theory: that there is no effective means of finding a program that satisfies a given formal specification; or checking that a program meets a specification. We exhibit a simple MAS which has all the power of a Turing machine. We argue that any pure design methodology will face insurmountable difficulties in todayýs open and complex MAS. We recommend instead a methodology based on experimental method 驴 scientific foundations for MAS construction and control.