Software agents' ability to interact within different open systems, designed by different
groups, presupposes an agreement on an unambiguous definition of a set of concepts, used …

Protocols enable unambiguous, smooth interactions among agents. Commitments among
agents are a powerful means of develo** protocols. Commitments enable flexible …

In this paper, we propose an operational method for the definition of the semantics of agent
communication languages based on the notion of social commitment. Our proposal is …

In this paper we investigate two related aspects of the formalization of open interaction
systems: how to specify norms, and how to enforce them by means of sanctions. The …

Abstract This paper uses Participatory Semantics to explicate commitment. Information
expresses the fact that a system is in a certain configuration that is correlated to the …

Norms and institutions have been proposed to regulate multi-agent interactions. However,
agents are intrinsically autonomous, and may thus decide whether to comply with norms. On …

The regulation of the activity of multiple autonomous entities represented in a multi-agent
system, in environments with no central design (and thus with no cooperative assumption) …

Institutions have been proposed as a means to regulate open interaction systems by
introducing a set of norms (involving deontic positions like authorizations, obligations …

Electronic institutions are software frameworks integrating normative environments where
agents interact to create mutual commitments. Contracts are formalizations of business …

The notion of artificial institution is crucial for the specification of open and dynamic
interaction frameworks where heterogeneous and autonomous agents can interact to face …