Ch 16: Multi-Agent Systems Architecture - Introduction¶
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Chapter 16: Multi-Agent Systems — Notebook 01 (Agents & Messaging)¶
We start from the atom of the system: a single agent with a role, tools, and memory, running a perceive-decide-act loop. Then we let two agents talk through typed messages and a shared blackboard.
What you'll learn¶
| Topic | Section |
|---|---|
| What an agent is (role, tools, memory, loop) | §1 |
| The perceive-decide-act cycle | §2 |
| Typed message performatives | §3 |
| Shared state with a blackboard | §4 |
Time estimate: 3 hours
Key concepts¶
- Agent — a policy plus tools and memory that acts toward a goal.
- Performative — the intent of a message (inform, request, propose…), not just its text.
- Blackboard — a shared workspace; powerful but a contention hazard.
- Autonomy vs control — more agent freedom means more capability and more failure modes.
An agent is a policy + tools + memory running a perceive-decide-act loop. Messages carry intent via performatives, and a blackboard shares state at the price of contention. These primitives compose into everything that follows.
Run the full notebook in the chapter folder for code and outputs.
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