- - 1 TRICOORD+ : AN MODEL FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN MULTIAGENT SYSTEMS Autor(es) : Placca, J.A., Universidade Estácio de Sá, Brasil (placca@interclub.com.br ) Dutra, I.C., Universidade do Porto, Portugal (ines@dcc.fc.up.pt) Garcia, A.C.B., Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brasil (bicharra@ic.dcc.uff.br ) Abstract Multiagent systems (MAS) have been used to solve classes of problems for which one has limited expertise to propose a feasible solution. Usually, these problems are intrinsically distributed, very complex and/or involve extensive computations. We are particularly interested in multiagents systems supporting Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), more specifically groupware with a focus on Distributed Engineering Design. One of the problems that is not very much explored in such applications is conflict resolution. This paper presents a Model for Conflict Resolution in Multiagent systems applied to groupware. Our work assumes that there is no general conflict resolution method suitable to any agents´ interaction situation. However conflicts can be detected and classified according to a set of attributes, and conflict resolution methods can be applied to suggest adequate mapping between conflicts and resolutions. Several works in the literature propose dynamic choice of the most appropriate strategy to solve conflicts taking into consideration: the nature of the conflict, the current organizational laws and preferential solutions. Our proposal, the Tri-Coord+ Model, enhances other works in the literature by adding two novelties: (1) a differentiated approach that takes into account the development of engineering designs, and (2) re-utilization of cases and strategies used in the design. Tri-Coord+ is an extension of Tri- Coord, a model for conflict resolution in multiagent systems based and inspired on Charles de Montesquieu's Three Powers of State. [19]. 1. Introduction (outline of objectives, research problem) Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) has as main objective to provide computational tools that facilitates human interaction, in order to increase the potential of working groups to accomplish common tasks [01]. Recently, we have seen an increasingly number of multimedia and multi-platform environments available to groups of people to perform individual or common tasks, allowing the integration between human interaction and information processing. Computational systems with these characteristics fall in the CSCW class, and in many cases join specialists of several multidisciplinar areas, particularly, Social and Computer Sciences. Amongst the diverse classes of CSCW problems, we are interested in the class of applications restricted to a working group with a well defined and specific purpose, that has the ability of helping the working group in communication, collaboration, and coordination activities. Working groups with these characteristics are the subject of study of groupware applications. These support various strategies and implementation models. One very popular paradigm used to implement solutions for working groups is Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). MAS are suitable to work in dynamic and complex environments, supporting distributed tasks, and keeping agents’ autonomy. However, using MAS in groupware applications is not a trivial task. The individual agents need to be coordinated and, depending on the kind of task to be executed, different types of conflicts may occur [02], [03], [04]. Our work proposes a model for conflict resolution in MAS with application to distributed engineering design. The flow of work of the several specialists and the various product development phases in engineering design are approached in a special manner by our model. We assume that there is no general conflict resolution method suitable to any agents´ interaction situation [05],[06],[07],[08] e [09]. However conflicts can be detected and classified according to a set of attributes, as well as we can use conflict resolution methods that suggest the adequate mapping between conflicts and resolutions. Several works in the literature propose dynamic choice of the most appropriate strategy to solve conflicts taking into consideration: the nature of the conflict, the current organizational laws and preferential solutions [05]. Our proposal, the Tri-Coord+ Model, enhances other works in the literature by adding two novelties: (1) a differentiated approach that takes into account the development of engineering designs, and (2) re-utilization of