Bipartite consensus problems of Lurie multi-agent systems over signed graphs: A contraction approach

This paper examines the bipartite consensus problems for the nonlinear multi-agent systems in Lurie dynamics form with cooperative and competitive communication between different agents. Based on the contraction theory, some new conditions for the nonlinear Lurie multi-agent systems reaching bipartite leaderless consensus and bipartite tracking consensus are presented. Compared with the traditional methods, this approach degrades the dimensions of the conditions, eliminates some restrictions of the system matrix, and extends the range of the nonlinear function. Finally, two numerical examples are provided to illustrate the efficiency of our results.

UAV-Assisted Dynamic Avatar Task Migration for Vehicular Metaverse Services: A Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach

Avatars, as promising digital representations and service assistants of users in Metaverses, can enable drivers and passengers to immerse themselves in 3D virtual services and spaces of UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses. However, avatar tasks include a multitude of human-to-avatar and avatar-to-avatar interactive applications, e.g., augmented reality navigation,which consumes intensive computing resources. It is inefficient and impractical for vehicles to process avatar tasks locally. Fortunately, migrating avatar tasks to the nearest roadside units(RSU)or unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV) for execution is a promising solution to decrease computation overhead and reduce task processing latency, while the high mobility of vehicles brings challenges for vehicles to independently perform avatar migration decisions depending on current and future vehicle status. To address these challenges, in this paper, we propose a novel avatar task migration system based on multi-agent deep reinforcement learning(MADRL) to execute immersive vehicular avatar tasks dynamically. Specifically, we first formulate the problem of avatar task migration from vehicles to RSUs/UAVs as a partially observable Markov decision process that can be solved by MADRL algorithms. We then design the multi-agent proximal policy optimization(MAPPO) approach as the MADRL algorithm for the avatar task migration problem. To overcome slow convergence resulting from the curse of dimensionality and non-stationary issues caused by shared parameters in MAPPO, we further propose a transformer-based MAPPO approach via sequential decision-making models for the efficient representation of relationships among agents. Finally, to motivate terrestrial or non-terrestrial edge servers(e.g., RSUs or UAVs) to share computation resources and ensure traceability of the sharing records, we apply smart contracts and blockchain technologies to achieve secure sharing management. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms the MAPPO approach by around 2% and effectively reduces approximately 20% of the latency of avatar task execution in UAV-assisted vehicular Metaverses.

Discovering Latent Variables for the Tasks With Confounders in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning

Efficient exploration in complex coordination tasks has been considered a challenging problem in multi-agent reinforcement learning(MARL). It is significantly more difficult for those tasks with latent variables that agents cannot directly observe. However, most of the existing latent variable discovery methods lack a clear representation of latent variables and an effective evaluation of the influence of latent variables on the agent. In this paper, we propose a new MARL algorithm based on the soft actor-critic method for complex continuous control tasks with confounders. It is called the multi-agent soft actor-critic with latent variable(MASAC-LV) algorithm, which uses variational inference theory to infer the compact latent variables representation space from a large amount of offline experience.Besides, we derive the counterfactual policy whose input has no latent variables and quantify the difference between the actual policy and the counterfactual policy via a distance function. This quantified difference is considered an intrinsic motivation that gives additional rewards based on how much the latent variable affects each agent. The proposed algorithm is evaluated on two collaboration tasks with confounders, and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of MASAC-LV compared to other baseline algorithms.

A survey on multi-agent reinforcement learning and its application

Multi-agent reinforcement learning(MARL)has been a rapidly evolving field.This paper presents a comprehensive survey of MARL and its applications.We trace the historical evolution of MARL,highlight its progress,and discuss related survey works.Then,we review the existing works addressing inherent challenges and those focusing on diverse applications.Some representative stochastic games,MARL means,spatial forms of MARL,and task classification are revisited.We then conduct an in-depth exploration of a variety of challenges encountered in MARL applications.We also address critical operational aspects,such as hyperparameter tuning and computational complexity,which are pivotal in practical implementations of MARL.Afterward,we make a thorough overview of the applications of MARL to intelligent machines and devices,chemical engineering,biotechnology,healthcare,and societal issues,which highlights the extensive potential and relevance of MARL within both current and future technological contexts.Our survey also encompasses a detailed examination of benchmark environments used in MARL research,which are instrumental in evaluating MARL algorithms and demonstrate the adaptability of MARL to diverse application scenarios.In the end,we give our prospect for MARL and discuss their related techniques and potential future applications.

CoopAI-Route: DRL Empowered Multi-Agent Cooperative System for Efficient QoS-Aware Routing for Network Slicing in Multi-Domain SDN

The emergence of beyond 5G networks has the potential for seamless and intelligent connectivity on a global scale.Network slicing is crucial in delivering services for different,demanding vertical applications in this context.Next-generation applications have time-sensitive requirements and depend on the most efficient routing path to ensure packets reach their intended destinations.However,the existing IP(Internet Protocol)over a multi-domain network faces challenges in enforcing network slicing due to minimal collaboration and information sharing among network operators.Conventional inter-domain routing methods,like Border Gateway Protocol(BGP),cannot make routing decisions based on performance,which frequently results in traffic flowing across congested paths that are never optimal.To address these issues,we propose CoopAI-Route,a multi-agent cooperative deep reinforcement learning(DRL)system utilizing hierarchical software-defined networks(SDN).This framework enforces network slicing in multi-domain networks and cooperative communication with various administrators to find performance-based routes in intra-and inter-domain.CoopAI-Route employs the Distributed Global Topology(DGT)algorithm to define inter-domain Quality of Service(QoS)paths.CoopAI-Route uses a DRL agent with a message-passing multi-agent Twin-Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient method to ensure optimal end-to-end routes adapted to the specific requirements of network slicing applications.Our evaluation demonstrates CoopAI-Route’s commendable performance in scalability,link failure handling,and adaptability to evolving topologies compared to state-of-the-art methods.

Hyperbolic Tangent Function-Based Protocols for Global/Semi-Global Finite-Time Consensus of Multi-Agent Systems

This paper investigates the problem of global/semi-global finite-time consensus for integrator-type multi-agent sys-tems.New hyperbolic tangent function-based protocols are pro-posed to achieve global and semi-global finite-time consensus for both single-integrator and double-integrator multi-agent systems with leaderless undirected and leader-following directed commu-nication topologies.These new protocols not only provide an explicit upper-bound estimate for the settling time,but also have a user-prescribed bounded control level.In addition,compared to some existing results based on the saturation function,the pro-posed approach considerably simplifies the protocol design and the stability analysis.Illustrative examples and an application demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed protocols.

Designing Proportional-Integral Consensus Protocols for Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems Using Delayed and Memorized State Information

This paper is concerned with consensus of a secondorder linear time-invariant multi-agent system in the situation that there exists a communication delay among the agents in the network.A proportional-integral consensus protocol is designed by using delayed and memorized state information.Under the proportional-integral consensus protocol,the consensus problem of the multi-agent system is transformed into the problem of asymptotic stability of the corresponding linear time-invariant time-delay system.Note that the location of the eigenvalues of the corresponding characteristic function of the linear time-invariant time-delay system not only determines the stability of the system,but also plays a critical role in the dynamic performance of the system.In this paper,based on recent results on the distribution of roots of quasi-polynomials,several necessary conditions for Hurwitz stability for a class of quasi-polynomials are first derived.Then allowable regions of consensus protocol parameters are estimated.Some necessary and sufficient conditions for determining effective protocol parameters are provided.The designed protocol can achieve consensus and improve the dynamic performance of the second-order multi-agent system.Moreover,the effects of delays on consensus of systems of harmonic oscillators/double integrators under proportional-integral consensus protocols are investigated.Furthermore,some results on proportional-integral consensus are derived for a class of high-order linear time-invariant multi-agent systems.

Unleashing the Power of Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Algorithmic Trading in the Digital Financial Frontier and Enterprise Information Systems

In the rapidly evolving landscape of today’s digital economy,Financial Technology(Fintech)emerges as a trans-formative force,propelled by the dynamic synergy between Artificial Intelligence(AI)and Algorithmic Trading.Our in-depth investigation delves into the intricacies of merging Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning(MARL)and Explainable AI(XAI)within Fintech,aiming to refine Algorithmic Trading strategies.Through meticulous examination,we uncover the nuanced interactions of AI-driven agents as they collaborate and compete within the financial realm,employing sophisticated deep learning techniques to enhance the clarity and adaptability of trading decisions.These AI-infused Fintech platforms harness collective intelligence to unearth trends,mitigate risks,and provide tailored financial guidance,fostering benefits for individuals and enterprises navigating the digital landscape.Our research holds the potential to revolutionize finance,opening doors to fresh avenues for investment and asset management in the digital age.Additionally,our statistical evaluation yields encouraging results,with metrics such as Accuracy=0.85,Precision=0.88,and F1 Score=0.86,reaffirming the efficacy of our approach within Fintech and emphasizing its reliability and innovative prowess.

Targeted multi-agent communication algorithm based on state control

As an important mechanism in multi-agent interaction,communication can make agents form complex team relationships rather than constitute a simple set of multiple independent agents.However,the existing communication schemes can bring much timing redundancy and irrelevant messages,which seriously affects their practical application.To solve this problem,this paper proposes a targeted multiagent communication algorithm based on state control(SCTC).The SCTC uses a gating mechanism based on state control to reduce the timing redundancy of communication between agents and determines the interaction relationship between agents and the importance weight of a communication message through a series connection of hard-and self-attention mechanisms,realizing targeted communication message processing.In addition,by minimizing the difference between the fusion message generated from a real communication message of each agent and a fusion message generated from the buffered message,the correctness of the final action choice of the agent is ensured.Our evaluation using a challenging set of Star Craft II benchmarks indicates that the SCTC can significantly improve the learning performance and reduce the communication overhead between agents,thus ensuring better cooperation between agents.

Safety-Constrained Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning for Power Quality Control in Distributed Renewable Energy Networks

This paper examines the difficulties of managing distributed power systems,notably due to the increasing use of renewable energy sources,and focuses on voltage control challenges exacerbated by their variable nature in modern power grids.To tackle the unique challenges of voltage control in distributed renewable energy networks,researchers are increasingly turning towards multi-agent reinforcement learning(MARL).However,MARL raises safety concerns due to the unpredictability in agent actions during their exploration phase.This unpredictability can lead to unsafe control measures.To mitigate these safety concerns in MARL-based voltage control,our study introduces a novel approach:Safety-ConstrainedMulti-Agent Reinforcement Learning(SC-MARL).This approach incorporates a specialized safety constraint module specifically designed for voltage control within the MARL framework.This module ensures that the MARL agents carry out voltage control actions safely.The experiments demonstrate that,in the 33-buses,141-buses,and 322-buses power systems,employing SC-MARL for voltage control resulted in a reduction of the Voltage Out of Control Rate(%V.out)from0.43,0.24,and 2.95 to 0,0.01,and 0.03,respectively.Additionally,the Reactive Power Loss(Q loss)decreased from 0.095,0.547,and 0.017 to 0.062,0.452,and 0.016 in the corresponding systems.

Finite-time Prescribed Performance Time-Varying Formation Control for Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems With Non-Strict Feedback Based on a Neural Network Observer

This paper studies the problem of time-varying formation control with finite-time prescribed performance for nonstrict feedback second-order multi-agent systems with unmeasured states and unknown nonlinearities.To eliminate nonlinearities,neural networks are applied to approximate the inherent dynamics of the system.In addition,due to the limitations of the actual working conditions,each follower agent can only obtain the locally measurable partial state information of the leader agent.To address this problem,a neural network state observer based on the leader state information is designed.Then,a finite-time prescribed performance adaptive output feedback control strategy is proposed by restricting the sliding mode surface to a prescribed region,which ensures that the closed-loop system has practical finite-time stability and that formation errors of the multi-agent systems converge to the prescribed performance bound in finite time.Finally,a numerical simulation is provided to demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of the developed algorithm.

A coordinated operation method of wind-PV-hydrogenstorage multi-agent energy system

Wind-photovoltaic(PV)-hydrogen-storage multi-agent energy systems are expected to play an important role in promoting renewable power utilization and decarbonization.In this study,a coordinated operation method was proposed for a wind-PVhydrogen-storage multi-agent energy system.First,a coordinated operation model was formulated for each agent considering peer-to-peer power trading.Second,a coordinated operation interactive framework for a multi-agent energy system was proposed based on the theory of the alternating direction method of multipliers.Third,a distributed interactive algorithm was proposed to protect the privacy of each agent and solve coordinated operation strategies.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed coordinated operation method was tested on multi-agent energy systems with different structures,and the operational revenues of the wind power,PV,hydrogen,and energy storage agents of the proposed coordinated operation model were improved by approximately 59.19%,233.28%,16.75%,and 145.56%,respectively,compared with the independent operation model.

Service Function Chain Deployment Algorithm Based on Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning

Aiming at the rapid growth of network services,which leads to the problems of long service request processing time and high deployment cost in the deployment of network function virtualization service function chain(SFC)under 5G networks,this paper proposes a multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient optimization algorithm for SFC deployment(MADDPG-SD).Initially,an optimization model is devised to enhance the request acceptance rate,minimizing the latency and deploying the cost SFC is constructed for the network resource-constrained case.Subsequently,we model the dynamic problem as a Markov decision process(MDP),facilitating adaptation to the evolving states of network resources.Finally,by allocating SFCs to different agents and adopting a collaborative deployment strategy,each agent aims to maximize the request acceptance rate or minimize latency and costs.These agents learn strategies from historical data of virtual network functions in SFCs to guide server node selection,and achieve approximately optimal SFC deployment strategies through a cooperative framework of centralized training and distributed execution.Experimental simulation results indicate that the proposed method,while simultaneously meeting performance requirements and resource capacity constraints,has effectively increased the acceptance rate of requests compared to the comparative algorithms,reducing the end-to-end latency by 4.942%and the deployment cost by 8.045%.

A PI+R Control Scheme Based on Multi-Agent Systems for Economic Dispatch in Isolated BESSs

Battery energy storage systems(BESSs)are widely used in smart grids.However,power consumed by inner impedance and the capacity degradation of each battery unit become particularly severe,which has resulted in an increase in operating costs.The general economic dispatch(ED)algorithm based on marginal cost(MC)consensus is usually a proportional(P)controller,which encounters the defects of slow convergence speed and low control accuracy.In order to solve the distributed ED problem of the isolated BESS network with excellent dynamic and steady-state performance,we attempt to design a proportional integral(PI)controller with a reset mechanism(PI+R)to asymptotically promote MC consensus and total power mismatch towards 0 in this paper.To be frank,the integral term in the PI controller is reset to 0 at an appropriate time when the proportional term undergoes a zero crossing,which accelerates convergence,improves control accuracy,and avoids overshoot.The eigenvalues of the system under a PI+R controller is well analyzed,ensuring the regularity of the system and enabling the reset mechanism.To ensure supply and demand balance within the isolated BESSs,a centralized reset mechanism is introduced,so that the controller is distributed in a flow set and centralized in a jump set.To cope with Zeno behavior and input delay,a dwell time that the system resides in a flow set is given.Based on this,the system with input delays can be reduced to a time-delay free system.Considering the capacity limitation of the battery,a modified MC scheme with PI+R controller is designed.The correctness of the designed scheme is verified through relevant simulations.

MADDPG-D2: An Intelligent Dynamic Task Allocation Algorithm Based on Multi-Agent Architecture Driven by Prior Knowledge

Aiming at the problems of low solution accuracy and high decision pressure when facing large-scale dynamic task allocation(DTA)and high-dimensional decision space with single agent,this paper combines the deep reinforce-ment learning(DRL)theory and an improved Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient(MADDPG-D2)algorithm with a dual experience replay pool and a dual noise based on multi-agent architecture is proposed to improve the efficiency of DTA.The algorithm is based on the traditional Multi-Agent Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient(MADDPG)algorithm,and considers the introduction of a double noise mechanism to increase the action exploration space in the early stage of the algorithm,and the introduction of a double experience pool to improve the data utilization rate;at the same time,in order to accelerate the training speed and efficiency of the agents,and to solve the cold-start problem of the training,the a priori knowledge technology is applied to the training of the algorithm.Finally,the MADDPG-D2 algorithm is compared and analyzed based on the digital battlefield of ground and air confrontation.The experimental results show that the agents trained by the MADDPG-D2 algorithm have higher win rates and average rewards,can utilize the resources more reasonably,and better solve the problem of the traditional single agent algorithms facing the difficulty of solving the problem in the high-dimensional decision space.The MADDPG-D2 algorithm based on multi-agent architecture proposed in this paper has certain superiority and rationality in DTA.

Collision-free parking recommendation based on multi-agent reinforcement learning in vehicular crowdsensing

The recent proliferation of Fifth-Generation(5G)networks and Sixth-Generation(6G)networks has given rise to Vehicular Crowd Sensing(VCS)systems which solve parking collisions by effectively incentivizing vehicle participation.However,instead of being an isolated module,the incentive mechanism usually interacts with other modules.Based on this,we capture this synergy and propose a Collision-free Parking Recommendation(CPR),a novel VCS system framework that integrates an incentive mechanism,a non-cooperative VCS game,and a multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithm,to derive an optimal parking strategy in real time.Specifically,we utilize an LSTM method to predict parking areas roughly for recommendations accurately.Its incentive mechanism is designed to motivate vehicle participation by considering dynamically priced parking tasks and social network effects.In order to cope with stochastic parking collisions,its non-cooperative VCS game further analyzes the uncertain interactions between vehicles in parking decision-making.Then its multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithm models the VCS campaign as a multi-agent Markov decision process that not only derives the optimal collision-free parking strategy for each vehicle independently,but also proves that the optimal parking strategy for each vehicle is Pareto-optimal.Finally,numerical results demonstrate that CPR can accomplish parking tasks at a 99.7%accuracy compared with other baselines,efficiently recommending parking spaces.

Event-triggered robust cooperative output regulation for a class of linear multi-agent systems with an unknown exosystem

This paper investigates the robust cooperative output regulation problem for a class of heterogeneousuncertain linear multi-agent systems with an unknown exosystem via event-triggered control (ETC). By utilizingthe internal model approach and the adaptive control technique, a distributed adaptive internal model isconstructed for each agent. Then, based on this internal model, a fully distributed ETC strategy composed ofa distributed event-triggered adaptive output feedback control law and a distributed dynamic event-triggeringmechanism is proposed, in which each agent updates its control input at its own triggering time instants. It isshown that under the proposed ETC strategy, the robust cooperative output regulation problem can be solvedwithout requiring either the global information associated with the communication topology or the bounds ofthe uncertain or unknown parameters in each agent and the exosystem. A numerical example is provided toillustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.

Regional Multi-Agent Cooperative Reinforcement Learning for City-Level Traffic Grid Signal Control

This article studies the effective traffic signal control problem of multiple intersections in a city-level traffic system.A novel regional multi-agent cooperative reinforcement learning algorithm called RegionSTLight is proposed to improve the traffic efficiency.Firstly a regional multi-agent Q-learning framework is proposed,which can equivalently decompose the global Q value of the traffic system into the local values of several regions Based on the framework and the idea of human-machine cooperation,a dynamic zoning method is designed to divide the traffic network into several strong-coupled regions according to realtime traffic flow densities.In order to achieve better cooperation inside each region,a lightweight spatio-temporal fusion feature extraction network is designed.The experiments in synthetic real-world and city-level scenarios show that the proposed RegionS TLight converges more quickly,is more stable,and obtains better asymptotic performance compared to state-of-theart models.

Robust adaptive leaderless consensus of unknown non-minimum phase linear multi-agent systems subject to disturbances and/or unmodeled dynamics

This article investigates the problem of robust adaptive leaderless consensus for heterogeneous uncertain nonminimumphase linear multi-agent systems over directed communication graphs. Each agent is assumed tobe of unknown nominal dynamics and also subject to external disturbances and/or unmodeled dynamics. Anovel distributed robust adaptive control strategy is proposed. It is shown that the robust adaptive leaderlessconsensus problem is solved with the proposed control strategy under some sufficient conditions. Two examplesare provided to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control strategy.

Computation Tree Logic Model Checking of Multi-Agent Systems Based on Fuzzy Epistemic Interpreted Systems

Model checking is an automated formal verification method to verify whether epistemic multi-agent systems adhere to property specifications.Although there is an extensive literature on qualitative properties such as safety and liveness,there is still a lack of quantitative and uncertain property verifications for these systems.In uncertain environments,agents must make judicious decisions based on subjective epistemic.To verify epistemic and measurable properties in multi-agent systems,this paper extends fuzzy computation tree logic by introducing epistemic modalities and proposing a new Fuzzy Computation Tree Logic of Knowledge(FCTLK).We represent fuzzy multi-agent systems as distributed knowledge bases with fuzzy epistemic interpreted systems.In addition,we provide a transformation algorithm from fuzzy epistemic interpreted systems to fuzzy Kripke structures,as well as transformation rules from FCTLK formulas to Fuzzy Computation Tree Logic(FCTL)formulas.Accordingly,we transform the FCTLK model checking problem into the FCTL model checking.This enables the verification of FCTLK formulas by using the fuzzy model checking algorithm of FCTL without additional computational overheads.Finally,we present correctness proofs and complexity analyses of the proposed algorithms.Additionally,we further illustrate the practical application of our approach through an example of a train control system.