• Author:
  • Fasli, Maria
• Subject:
  Internet Guides & Online Services
• Published by:
  John Wiley & Sons (UK)
• Published:
  19/01/2007
• Price:
  $98.99
• <  Buy this book  >

Agents are computational systems that are capable of autonomous, reactive and proactive behaviour, and are also able to interact with each other. The application of agents in e-Commerce is one of the fastest-growing and most exciting areas of computer science. This emerging technology is enabling individuals and businesses to take advantage of the new and powerful medium of the World Wide Web.

Agent Technology for e-Commerce introduces the main theory behind and the applications of agent technology in e-Commerce in a way that is accessible to students with a basic background in computer science. Bringing together economics, game theory and multi-agent systems in a clear and accessible way, this book offers an introduction to agent technology and architectures, as well as providing more in-depth coverage of subjects such as negotiation, auctions, bargaining, voting protocols and coalition formation. Mobile agents and issues of trust and security are also addressed.

Containing exercises and topics for discussion, this book is ideal for classroom use or self-study, and will be of considerable interest to computing and IT professionals who wish explore the fast-moving discipline of agent technology for e-Commerce.

Maria Fasli has taught a course on Agent Technology in E-commerce since 2000 as part of the MSc. in E-commerce Technology degree offered at the Department of Computer Science of the University of Essex. At the time of curriculum design, this was the first such specialized course designed in the UK. This course is now being offered as an option to other degree schemes in the Computer Science Department including the Doctoral program of the Centre of Computational Finance and Economic Agents (CCFEA).

List of Figures.

List of Tables.

Preface.

1 Introduction.

1.1 A paradigm shift.

1.2 Electronic commerce.

1.3 Agents and e-commerce.

1.4 Further reading.

1.5 Exercises and topics for discussion.

2 Software agents.

2.1 Characteristics of agents.

2.2 Agents as intentional systems.

2.3 Making decisions.

2.4 Planning.

2.5 Learning.

2.6 Agent architectures.

2.7 Agents in perspective.

2.8 Methodologies and languages.

2.9 Further reading.

2.10 Exercises and topics for discussion.

3 Multi-agent systems.

3.1 Characteristics of multi-agent systems.

3.2 Interaction.

3.3 Agent communication.

3.4 Ontologies.

3.5 Cooperative problem solving.

3.6 Virtual organisations as multi-agent systems.

3.7 Infrastructure requirements for open multi-agent systems.

3.8 Further reading.

3.9 Exercises and topics for discussion.

4 Shopping Agents.

4.1 Consumer buying behaviour model.

4.2 Comparison shopping.

4.3 Working for the user.

4.4 How shopping agents work.

4.5 Limitations and issues.

4.6 Further reading.

4.7 Exercises and topics for discussion.

5 Middle agents.

5.1 Matching.

5.2 Classification of middle agents.

5.3 Describing capabilities.

5.4 LARKS.

5.5 OWL-S.

5.6 Further reading.

5.7 Exercises and topics for discussion.

6 Recommender systems.

6.1 Information needed.

6.2 Providing recommendations.

6.3 Recommendation technologies.

6.4 Content-based filtering.

6.5 Collaborative filtering.

6.6 Combining content and collaborative filtering.

6.7 Recommender systems in e-commerce.

6.8 A note on personalization.

6.9 Further reading.

6.10 Exercises and topics for discussion.

7 Elements of strategic interaction.

7.1 Elements of Economics.

7.2 Elements of Game Theory.

7.3 Further reading.

7.4 Exercises and topics for discussion.

8 Negotiation I.

8.1 Negotiation protocols.

8.2 Desired properties of negotiation protocols.

8.3 Abstract architecture for negotiating agents.

8.4 Auctions.

8.5 Classification of auctions.

8.6 Basic auction formats.

8.7 Double auctions.

8.8 Multi-attribute auctions.

8.9 Combinatorial auctions.

8.10 Auction platforms.

8.11 Issues in practical auction design.

8.12 Further reading.

8.13 Exercises and topics for discussion.

9 Negotiation II.

9.1 Bargaining.

9.2 Negotiation in different domains.

9.3 Coalitions.

9.4 Applications of coalition formation.

9.5 Social choice problems.

9.6 Argumentation.

9.7 Further reading.

9.8 Exercises and topics for discussion.

10 Mechanism design.

10.1 The mechanism design problem.

10.2 Dominant strategy implementation.

10.3 The Gibbard-Satterthwaite Impossibility Theorem.

10.4 The Groves-Clarke mechanisms.

10.5 Mechanism design and computational issues.

10.6 Further reading.

10.7 Exercises and topics for discussion.

11 Mobile agents.

11.1 Introducing mobility.

11.2 Facilitating mobility.

11.3 Mobile agent systems.

11.4 Aglets.

11.5 Mobile agent security.

11.6 Issues on mobile agents.

11.7 Further reading.

11.8 Exercises and topics for discussion.

12 Trust, security and legal issues.

12.1 Perceived risks.

12.2 Trust.

12.3 Trust in e-commerce.

12.4 Electronic institutions.

12.5 Reputation systems.

12.6 Security.

12.7 Cryptography.

12.8 Privacy, anonymity and agents.

12.9 Agents and the law.

12.10 Agents as legal persons.

12.11 Closing remarks.

12.12 Further reading.

12.13 Exercises and topics for discussion.

A Introduction to decision theory.

A.2 Making decisions.

A.3 Utilities.

A.4 Further reading.

Bibliography.

Index.