On the computability of agent-based workflows

  • Authors:
  • Wai Yin Mok;Prashant Palvia;David Paper

  • Affiliations:
  • Accounting and Information Systems, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama;Information Systems and Operations Management, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina;Business Information Systems, Utah State University, Logan, Utah

  • Venue:
  • Decision Support Systems
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

Workflow research is commonly concerned with optimization, modeling, and dependency. In this research, we however address a more fundamental issue. By modeling humans and machines as agents and making use of a theoretical computer and statecharts, we prove that many workflow problems do not have computer-based solutions. We also demonstrate a sufficient condition under which computers are able to solve these problems. We end by discussing the relationships between our research and Petri Nets, the multi-agent framework in the literature, linear programming and workflow verification.