Validating a Novel Conflict Resolution Strategy Selection Method (ConfRSSM) Via Multi-Agent Simulation

Abstract

Selecting a suitable conflict resolution strategy when conflicts appear in multi-agent environments is a hard problem. There is a need to develop a method that can select a suitable strategy which guaranties low cost in terms of the number of messages and time ticks. This paper focuses on conflicts over agents' individual opinion and decision making by taking into account an agent's features such as collaborative, autonomous, and local communication. The significance of this research is twofold. Firstly, this research attempts to prove the significance of giving agents the ability to select an appropriate strategy in different conflict states depending on conflict specifications such as conflict strengths and confidence levels of the conflicting agents. Secondly, the study developed a new method named as ConfRSSM for reducing the communication cost and time taken for selecting a conflict resolution strategy. The approach ignores some conflict states, and replaces complex strategies by a simpler one, in some conflicting cases. Results show ConfRSSM reduces the number of messages and time ticks and thus improving the entire conflict resolution process.