Glossary

AI:

Artificial Intelligence.

Agent:

a unifying concept and metaphor considered in this project.

BRA:

Basic Research Action

CKBS:

Cooperating Knowledge-Based Systems.

CSCW:

Computer-Supported Cooperative Work - a subfield of AI concerned with the modelling of human interaction in order to provide computer support. It shares many concerns with Process Modelling.

DAI:

Distributed Artificial Intelligence.

DB:

Data Bases - a field of Information Science dealing with the storage of information representing knowledge about the external world.

DPS:

Distributed Problem Solving.

DSS:

Decision Support Systems.

Esprit:

European Strategic Programme in Information Technologies.

Facet:

one of the important aspects of the concept of ``agent''. - The main facets identified here are: state (belief, knowledge, goal, obligations, etc.), behaviour.

Field:

in this document, a scientific discipline that is considered for cross-fertilization on the concept of ``agent''.

Formal model:

a mathematical representation of a concept of interest (here, agent). Formal models are the basis of any language design, and of rigourous scientific investigation in general.

GM:

ModelAge General Meeting. Held twice a year.

KBS:

Knowledge-Based Systems.

MAS:

Multi-Agent Systems.

PM:

Process Modelling - a field of Information Science concerned with the formalisation of the cooperation between agents (designers, software tools) for the obtention of a given product (often, an information system.)

RE:

Requirements Engineering - a field of Information Science concerned with the elicitation and formalisation of requirements on an information system to be built.

SE:

Software Engineering - a field of Information Science concerned with the construction of software. Here we convene to exclude RE from its scope.

SM:

ModelAge Specialist Meeting.

WG:

Working Group.

WS:

ModelAge Workshop. Held once each year.