A UNIFIED FRAMEWORK FOR COLLECTIVE SYSTEMS

Emma Hart, Edinburgh Napier UniversityJeremy Pitt, Imperial College LondonUlle Endriss, University of Amsterdam

G d Vi iGrand Vision

Applications

p

A Software Toolkit of Design Patterns and

Components

y

A Unified Theory of Operations for CAST

Systems

Wh d d h ?Why do we need a new theory ?• Existing engineering

approaches provide some theoretical basis• E.g. control theory –

ensure/prove stability• But most methods don’t

t f d fi iaccount for defining properties of CAST systems• Lead to systems that are

oscillatory or at worst unfit foroscillatory or at worst unfit for purpose

• Existing methods often domain-driven (e gdomain-driven (e.g. telecoms, robotics)• Not generalisable or

transferabletransferable

CAS i M l i Di i liCAS is Multi-Disciplinary

• Many theories from individual disciplines

• Hard to compare theoriestheories

• Theories address different aspects ofdifferent aspects of CASDon’t account for• Don t account for engineering constraintsconstraints

T d ifi d hTowards a unified theory

• Unifies concepts from multiple disciplines into a single framework

• Qualitative theoryBiological Systems

Qualitative theory represented in axiomatic form Computational Organisationala o at c o

• Can be formalised and analysed

Social Choice Theory

analysed• Operationalised via design patternsdesign patterns

Bi l i l SBiological Systems• Immune-neuro-endocrine mechanisms lead to homeostasis

• Long-term stability• Adapt over multiple ti llead to homeostasis

• Cohen’s cognitive immune system :

timescales• Coordinate multiple heterogeneousimmune system :

• Decision making via co-respondence

heterogeneous components

• Deal with limited and• Swarm insects

• Coordination, partial info

• Deal with limited and partial information

• Decision making• Symbiosis between multiple species:

C ti

Decision making• Conflict resolution

• Cooperation

S i l Ch i ThSocial Choice Theory• Originates in economics

and political science• Concerns design &Concerns design &

analysis of methods for aggregating preferences of multiple agents into

• Heterogeneous agents• Multiple objectivesmultiple agents into

collective decisions• Social choice considers

formal aspects of

• Collective decisions• Open-ness

Fair division of resourcesformal aspects of democratic decision making (e.g electoral

t )

• Fair division of resources• Stability

systems)• Computational Social

Choice add an algorithmic gperspective

O i i l ThOrganisational Theory

• Elucidates principles for stable resource • Collective Actionmanagement

• Study of engineered

• Collective Action• TrustStudy of engineered

systems• Insights into

• Cooperation• Stable and enduring • Insights into

engineering socio-technical

gsystems

technical ‘organisations’ in a top down mannerdown manner

A U ifi d Th f O iA Unified Theory of Operation

A Unified Theory of Operations for CAST Systems

Computational n esns es…

Social Choice

Biologicaln-

ness

form

atio

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Obj

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prop

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Systems

Organisational

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Soc

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AS

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Theory DS

New

Engineering Requirements of CAST Systems

Wh d h i i ?What does synthesis give ?

Biological  Organisational Biological Computational gSystems

OrganisationalTheory

Biological Systems

pSocial Choice

>>Computational Social Choice

EngineeringConstraints

OrganisationalTheoryEngineering

>>Constraints TheoryEngineering

Constraints

• Addresses weaknesses in individual theories• Addresses conflicts• Addresses conflicts• Respects engineering constraints

I di id l W kIndividual Weaknesses• Biological Systems:

• Tend to rely on homogeneous collectivesGlobal rather than individual objectives• Global rather than individual objectives

• Considerable physical differences

• Computational Social ChoiceComputational Social Choice• Based on standard models from economics• Abstracted from human decision making (different goals but same

model)

• Institutional Theories• Easy to get locked into sub-optimal states due to path

dependencies• Not clear how to evaluate ‘fitness’ of an institutionNot clear how to evaluate fitness of an institution

C l iConclusions• Unification addresses current fragmented approach to

inter-disciplinary researchDiff t l i t l tl hi d l id ti• Different analysis tools currently hinder elucidating connections between fields

• Many existing theories don’t account for engineering• Many existing theories don t account for engineering constraints of CAS

• A unified theory will:• A unified theory will:• Enable formal comparison between concepts from different

disciplines• Drive innovation in field