Agents
Abstract
There are many qualities and attributes presented in the literature
on "agents". This paper looks at some of the properties
of agents that others have suggested, specifically
independence (autonomy),
intelligence,
communication,
learning,
mobility and
representation of the user.
These attributes are described in a general sense and their relevance
to the idea of agency is discussed, particularly the way that they
interrelate. Two formalisms, that of
Goodwin
and that of
Fulbright and Stephens,
are discussed in detail as starting points.
The
conclusion
reached is that "agency" is a continuum of many properties, but
that some of those properties are essential if the term "agent" is
to be useful or meaningful - in particular, the properties of
independence
and
representation,
though the difficulty of divorcing these properties from other, related
properties is noted. By looking at some of the attributes that are commonly
seen as defining agency, this paper seeks to create a modest framework for
considering candidates for the title of "agent".
Note:
This paper has been prepared and presented as a World Wide Web document,
currently residing at
http://www.biplane.com.au/~kauer/project/
.
It has not been designed for presentation in print. If you are reading a
printed copy, it is strongly recommended that you obtain the WWW version
instead.
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Last modified 19 December 1995, 01:20
© Copyright 1995 Karl Auer