CSC 498. Intelligent Agents, Fall 2002

Course News

Check here for updates regarding the course.

12/13/02 - Don't forget that your projects are due on Monday, Dec. 16 at 10am. I want electronic versions of your source code and binaries that work with RedHat 7.3 and version 9.0.2 of the Soccer Server. Please also provide contact information for one or more members of your team so that I can reach you if I have difficulty running your team. Although your source and binaries are due Monday, you may turn in your project reports at the tournament on Tuesday without penalty.
12/12/02 - Our RoboCup tournament will be on Tuesday, Dec. 17 from 9am to 11am in Packard Lab room 258 (note this is not our usual classroom and that we are starting one hour later than the scheduled "exam time").
11/25/02 - I've added an FAQ for the RoboCup project.
11/13/02 - I've added a page that lists our RoboCup Teams
11/5/02 - The official schedule of class presentations is now prepared. Please ensure that you are listed for the correct paper and day. Also refer to this list for your reading assignments for the remaining lectures.
11/4/02 - For Wed., Nov. 6, read The CMUnited-98 champion simulator team by Stone, Veloso and Riley. You may be able to get the paper in alternate formats here. Prepare at least one discussion question for the class.
10/31/02 - I have prepared a list of suggested papers for your class presentations. I will hand this out in class on Fri., Nov. 1, but feel free to start thinking about your topic now. You will have to sign up for a day and a paper by the end of the day on Monday, Nov. 4.
10/14/02 - As we discussed in class, the midterm has been rescheduled to Monday, Nov. 4.
10/14/02 - Class is canceled for Friday, Oct. 18.
10/10/02 - I have added an FAQ for the project. This contains answers to some of the most common questions I have been asked about the project.

Course Description

Intelligent agents are software programs that can autonomously perform tasks for users. The ideal agent can perceive its environment, communicate with other agents, and take a series of actions to achieve a complex goal. The potential applications of agents are numerous -- including web search assistants, travel advisors, electronic secretaries, and bidders in on-line auctions. Some have even predicted a future in which agent technology is embedded in everyday items, allowing household objects to coordinate actions in order to better serve the home owner. The course will cover the underlying theory of agents, the common agent architectures, the potential applications for agents, and let students construct their own agents.

For details about course content, grading, assignments, and office hours, see the class syllabus.

Assignments

In the table below, MS stands for our textbook, Multiagent Systems, edited by Gerhard Weiss.

Task Due

Read MS 1.1-1.3 (pp. 27-41) 8/28

Read MS 1.4.1-1.4.2 (pp. 42-54) 8/30

Read MS 1.4.3 (pp. 54-61) 9/2

Read MS 1.4.4 (pp. 61-66) 9/4

Read MS 1.5-1.6 (pp. 66-71)
Be prepared to discuss the high-level design (Java classes and methods) for a generic agent system. 9/6

Read MS 2.1-2.2.6 (pp. 79-92) 9/9

Read MS 2.2.7-2.3.3 (pp. 92-103) 9/13

Read MS 2.3.4-2.5 (pp. 103-114) 9/16

Project #1 10/11

Read MS 3.1-3.3 (pp. 121-130) 9/20

Read MS 3.4 (pp. 131-139) 9/23

Homework #1 10/2

Read MS 3.5 (pp. 139-149) 9/25

Read MS 3.6-3.8 (pp. 149-158) 9/27

Read MS 8.1-8.2 (pp. 331-342) 9/30

Read MS 8.3-8.4 (pp. 342-355) 10/2

Read MS 8.5-8.9 (pp. 356-369) 10/7

Read MS 6.1-6.3 (pp. 259-272) 10/9

Read MS 6.4 (pp. 272-281) 10/11

Read MS 6.5-6.6 (pp. 281-292) 10/14

Read MS 5.1-5.3 (pp. 201-211) 10/16

Read MS 5.4-5.5 (pp. 211-224) 10/21

Homework #2 10/28

Read MS 5.6 (pp. 224-233) 10/23

Read MS 5.7 (pp. 233-241) 10/28

Read MS 5.8-5.9 (pp. 241-251) 10/30

Read The CMUnited-98 champion simulator team by Stone, Veloso and Riley. 11/6

All of your remaining reading assignments for the semester can be found in the Class Presentations schedule. n/a

Task	Due
Read MS 1.1-1.3 (pp. 27-41)	8/28
Read MS 1.4.1-1.4.2 (pp. 42-54)	8/30
Read MS 1.4.3 (pp. 54-61)	9/2
Read MS 1.4.4 (pp. 61-66)	9/4
Read MS 1.5-1.6 (pp. 66-71) Be prepared to discuss the high-level design (Java classes and methods) for a generic agent system.	9/6
Read MS 2.1-2.2.6 (pp. 79-92)	9/9
Read MS 2.2.7-2.3.3 (pp. 92-103)	9/13
Read MS 2.3.4-2.5 (pp. 103-114)	9/16
Project #1	10/11
Read MS 3.1-3.3 (pp. 121-130)	9/20
Read MS 3.4 (pp. 131-139)	9/23
Homework #1	10/2
Read MS 3.5 (pp. 139-149)	9/25
Read MS 3.6-3.8 (pp. 149-158)	9/27
Read MS 8.1-8.2 (pp. 331-342)	9/30
Read MS 8.3-8.4 (pp. 342-355)	10/2
Read MS 8.5-8.9 (pp. 356-369)	10/7
Read MS 6.1-6.3 (pp. 259-272)	10/9
Read MS 6.4 (pp. 272-281)	10/11
Read MS 6.5-6.6 (pp. 281-292)	10/14
Read MS 5.1-5.3 (pp. 201-211)	10/16
Read MS 5.4-5.5 (pp. 211-224)	10/21
Homework #2	10/28
Read MS 5.6 (pp. 224-233)	10/23
Read MS 5.7 (pp. 233-241)	10/28
Read MS 5.8-5.9 (pp. 241-251)	10/30
Read The CMUnited-98 champion simulator team by Stone, Veloso and Riley.	11/6
All of your remaining reading assignments for the semester can be found in the Class Presentations schedule.	n/a

Homeworks and Projects

Project #1 - Vacuum Cleaning Agent

Description
Windows source code
Unix source code
FAQ
Homework #1 - Chapters 1 and 2
- Assignment
Homework #2 - Chapters 3, 6 and 8
- Assignment
Class Presentations
- Reading List
Project #2 - RoboCup Team

Additonal Class materials

Syllabus: Contains information on course content, grading, assignments, and office hours
Our High-Level Java Agent System Design: The results of our discussions on 9/6 and 9/9 concerning what Java classes, fields, and methods we would use to implement an agent system.
Class presentations schedule: Lists the dates and topics for each of your presentations. Everyone is responsible for reading each paper before the day it is presented, and should be prepared to discuss it in class.
RoboCup Teams: Identifies the members of the four teams for our RoboCup project.