Formal specification of a multi-agent system architecture for manufacture:: the contribution of the π-calculus

We first recall the interest of multi-agent systems (MAS) in computer-aided production engineering. We argue that the notion of agent needs to be clarified and that MAS architectures must consequently be subject to formal descriptions. Concurrent specification languages, such as process calculi, can be regarded as suitable models for this purpose. The pi -calculus is therefore introduced through its syntax and an informal description of its semantic. We then support the idea that this calculus fulfils the requirements for MAS architecture description, especially the aspects related to the interactions between agents. Then, we focus on the Supply Chain Management problem: two agents and their sub-components are specified using the pi -calculus. After a short evaluation of the proposed method, we end by pointing out the potential applications and some areas of research related to our approach. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.