A Development of Multi-Agent based Automated Negotiation System

Knowledge and Information Systems, 2008

This paper presents a knowledge empowered automated negotiation system for buyer-centric multi-bilateral multi-attribute e-Procurement. We propose two knowledge empowered models namely KERM and KACM. KERM is used for the buyer to determine a list of suppliers which are the best qualified candidates to negotiate with. KERM also allows the flexibility to assign appropriate weights, based on buyer's interests, to each knowledge factor affecting the overall evaluation result of a quote. The resulted list of quotes of high rank is believed to produce satisfactory negotiation result for the buyer. KACM enables an automated concession process, while at the same time facilitates a flexible negotiation via the use of concept switch and tagged rules. KACM emphasizes the utilization of knowledge originated from the historical negotiation data in estimating and fine-tuning the negotiation parameters for improving the performance of automated negotiation. Our results show that the prototype makes significant improvement in the satisfaction level of negotiation results.

2005

The note reports on the current status of an implementation of a rule-based negotiation mechanism in a model e-commerce multi-agent system. Here, we briefly describe the conceptual architecture of the system and its initial implementation utilizing JADE and JESS. A particular negotiation scenario involving English auctions performed in parallel is also discussed.

Advanced Research on Cloud Computing Design and Applications, 2015

The research in the area of automated negotiation systems is going on in many universities. This research is mainly focused on making a practically feasible, faster and reliable E-negotiation system. The ongoing work in this area is happening in the laboratories of the universities mainly for training and research purpose. There are number of negotiation systems such as Henry, Kasbaah, Bazaar, Auction Bot, Inspire, Magnet. Our research is based on making an agent software for E-negotiation which will give faster results and also is secure and flexible. Cloud Computing provides security and flexibility to the user data. Using these features we propose an E-negotiation system, in which, all product information and agent details are stored on the cloud. This system proposes three conditions for making successful negotiation. First rule based, where agent will check user requirements with rule based data. Second case based, where an agent will see case based data to check any similar previous negotiation case is matching to the user requirement. Third bilateral negotiation model, if both rules based data and case based data are not matching with the user requirement, then agent use bilateral negotiation model for negotiation. After completing negotiation process, agents give feedback to the user about whether negotiation is successful or not. Using rule based reasoning and case based reasoning this system will improve the efficiency and success rate of the negotiation process.

— E-commerce is seen as one of the key services of modern information society. The idea of automating e-commerce transactions attracted a lot of interest during the last years. Multi-agent systems are claimed to be one of promising software technologies for achieving this goal. Rules constitute a very promising approach to describing negotiation processes. We suggest ECA rule-based approaches to automated negotiations. The experimental scenario considers multiple buyer and seller agents that are performed in parallel.

In this work we discus the process of multi-agent negotiations by means of electronic auctions and present possible approaches for finding effective solutions to the problem of resource allocation. We focus our attention on:-Centralized auction types (classic auctions, continuous double auction-CDA, etc.) – Effective allocation depends on bidding strategies. We implement new software for modeling e-auctions and propose a new methodology for evaluating bidding strategies.-Decentralized auction types (combinatorial auctions) – Auction effectiveness depends on the quality of the algorithm for winner determination. We design new heuristics for winner determination in single-and multi-item combinatorial auctions. First chapter describes the theoretical foundations of agent-based negotiations. Second chapter elaborates on MASECA (Multi-Agent Software for Electronic Commerce Auctions) and its functions as CDA-simulator. Third chapter suggests a methodology for comparison between bidding ag...

In this paper, a mathematical model with flexible negotiation strategies for agent based negotiations is developed which can be applied suitably in bilateral/multilateral multi-issue negotiation environments. Unlike the existing approaches for offer value computation for the negotiation issues, this model considers not only the reservation values but also the offer values proposed in the preceding negotiation round. This approach for offer value computation enables the traders to reach consensus much quicker than the existing approaches. This model considers the compelling urge of the trader in buying/selling a product based on which the reservation values are adjusted automatically at the end of the negotiation process in order to reach consensus in a deal which is otherwise not possible. The formula devised in this model to determine the concession speed of each negotiation issue handles the dynamicity of the negotiation environment and reflects the importance of each negotiation issue from the traders' perspective. The effectiveness of the proposed strategies is evaluated using various hypothetical cases representing the real-world negotiation scenarios in an e-commerce environment. The test results show that the proposed negotiation strategies are able to optimize the utility process and also improve the rate of reaching consensus in the negotiation process .

2013 International Conference on Cloud & Ubiquitous Computing & Emerging Technologies, 2013

With the proliferation of web technologies it becomes more and more important to make the traditional negotiation pricing mechanism automated and intelligent. The behavior of software agents which negotiate on behalf of humans is determined by their tactics in the form of decision functions. Prediction of partner's behavior in negotiation has been an active research direction in recent years as it will improve the utility gain for the adaptive negotiation agent and also achieve the agreement much quicker or look after much higher benefits. In this paper we review the various negotiation methods and the existing architecture. Although negotiation is practically very complex activity to automate without human intervention we have proposed architecture for predicting the opponents behavior which will take into consideration various factors which affect the process of negotiation. The basic concept is that the information about negotiators, their individual actions and dynamics can be used by software agents equipped with adaptive capabilities to learn from past negotiations and assist in selecting appropriate negotiation tactics.

International Journal of Modern Trends in Engineering & Research, 2017

Domain oriented negotiation is the emergent functionality of automated E-Commerce. There are several model deployed by various researcher in there automated E-Commerce model for domain oriented negotiation strategies. In this research review paper we provide a review on various negotiation models which are deployed in various domain oriented negotiation.

Utilizing Social Media to Engage Consumers, 2013

Electronic negotiation is one of many applications that software agents can perform to facilitate electronic business. Negotiations between software agents and humans (hybrid negotiation), can make electronic business efficient and intelligent. It can save time, effort and other valueable resources by replacing the human in electronic business activities and many other domains. However, to enable hybrid negotiation, a software agent needs clear machine interpretable semantics to understand and generate natural language content. Although it is not simple to make natural language content understandable by software agents as a whole, it can be achieved in different domains-in this case electronic business. For this purpose, an example of hybrid negotiation is presented, in which a software agent and a human agent negotiate for a business contract. Problems involved in this negotiation process are partially resolved through ontologies (the main Semantic Web technology), NSS (negotiation support system) and hand written rules.

2005

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

The increasing importance of operating automated systems arises with emerging competitive e-commerce environment. Nowadays, operating automated systems used in conducting all business transactions are enhanced substantially to achieve beneficial trade and decrease frequent messaging overhead of transactions. In spite of the highly competitive electronic marketplace, it is necessary to design a system which automates tasks including group negotiation and, payment and delivery. In this paper, we apply the purchasing groups to enhance the bargaining power of customers still satisfying all users' needs and preferences. We propose a flexible system called UUT-Trade to purchase laptop computers. This system uses a novel negotiation algorithm which diminishes all prices offered by potential sellers as much as possible, and then users will have the chance to choose between potential sellers by performing a weighted voting. Unlike similar systems which also exploit group purchasing, this system suggests no scarification of buyers' needs.

2009

Electronic business negotiations are enabled by different electronic negotiation models: automated negotiation models for software agents, negotiation support models for human negotiators, and auction models for both. To date, there is no electronic negotiation model that enables bilateral multi-issue negotiations between a human negotiator and a negotiation agent-an important task in electronic negotiation research. In this thesis, a model is presented that integrates the automated negotiation model and the negotiation support model. The resulting hybrid negotiation model paves the way for human-agent business negotiations. The integration of two models is realised at the levels of negotiation process, communication support and decision making. To this end, the negotiation design, negotiation process, negotiation decision making, and negotiation communication in negotiation support systems (NSSs) and agent negotiation systems (ANSs) are studied and analysed. The analyses on these points help in strengthening the motivation behind hybrid negotiation model and setting aims for the integration of an NSS and an ANS in hybrid negotiation model. We mainly propose a human-agent negotiation design, negotiation process protocols to support the design, a hybrid communication model for human-agent interaction, an agent decision-making model for negotiation with human, and a component for interoperability between NSS and ANS. The agent decision-making model is composed of heuristic and argumentationbased negotiation techniques. It is proposed after analysing different automated negotiation models for different human negotiation strategies. The proposed communication model supports human negotiator and negotiation agent to understand and process negotiation messages from each other. This communication model consists of negotiation ontology, a wrapper agent, and a proper selection of an agent communication language (ACL) and a content language. The wrapper agent plays a role for interoperability between agent system and NSS by providing a communication interface along with the negotiation ontology. The negotiation ontology, ACL and agent content language make the communication model of negotiation agent in ANS. The proposed hybrid model is realised by integrating an ANS into NSS Negoisst. The research aim is to 1.2.2 Hybrid Communication Model and Agent Communication Model Communication is an essential part of a negotiation process and it is about exchanging negotiation messages between negotiators. With a hybrid (human-agent) communication model for human-agent negotiation, our aim is to bridge the gap between the communication models of Negoisst and ANS in order to enable two different communicatory entities to communicate their negotiation stance to each other. A communication model in any negotiation system normally defines the structure of negotiation messages and the representation and semantics of contents in messages. The hybrid communication model must thus be based on a thorough analysis of the negotiation communication behaviour and the structure of negotiation messages in NSSs and ANSs. A communication behaviour in a negotiation message can be represented through an offer containing negotiation issues' values with or without text representing the arguments, queries about product or service, clarifications about some negotiation matter, greetings etc. The structure of a negotiation message in NSSs and ANSs is

Multiagent and Grid Systems, 2017

The ubiquity of electronic commerce has resulted in considerable interest in automating the mechanisms it employs. Ideally, we would like to only leave closing a deal to the human user, and have software negotiate price. This paper propose a negotiation strategy that focuses on 1) beginning the negotiation process at a realistic and competitive price, 2) encouraging the continuation of a round of negotiations once it has begun, and 3) keeping the computation and communication load low so that the bulk of marketplace resources are spent on the negotiation process itself. We offer comparison with respect to the negotiated price, negotiation time and communication overhead against Red Agent and show favorable results. This work also presents the design of a marketplace where agents would meet and negotiate through a protocol, read product information from a central ontology, and be able to fetch negotiated prices for a product from the central history database. The work therefore demonstrates feasibility for a negotiation support system comprising both the negotiation strategy and a negotiation infrastructure.

European Journal of Operational Research, 2008

E-commerce will strongly penetrate the market if coupled with appropriate technologies and mechanisms. Mobile agents may enhance the intelligence and improve the efficiency of systems in the e-marketplace. We propose a dynamic multilateral negotiation model and construct an efficient negotiation strategy based on a ranking mechanism that does not require a complicated rationale on behalf of the buyer agents. This strategy can be used to extend the functionality of autonomous intelligent agents, so that they quickly reach to an agreement aiming to maximise their owner's utility. The framework proposed considers both contract and decision issues, is based on real market conditions, and has been empirically evaluated. Moreover, it is shown that in a linear framework like the one we employ more elaborate ranking mechanisms do not necessarily improve efficiency.

Abstracts: Negotiation is a process for an interaction between a buyer and a seller to reach at an agreement stage where both of them are at profitable state of business. Various classical as well as modern intelligent computing methods viz. knowledge based, systems (KBS), case based reasoning (CBR), artificial neural nets (ANN) and genetic algorithm (GA) have been deployed to implement the various steps in a negotiation process. Multi agent systems (MAS) have also been used to represent the buyers and sellers as agents and the broker as a coordinator agent. In this paper, we have reviewed the work of various researchers on specific methods for negotiation between buyers and sellers based on artificial intelligence (AI) methods that are presented using table.