Local Agent Requirements for Stable Emergent Group Distributions

This note introduces a model of a generic team formation problem. We derive general conditions under which a group of scattered decision-making agents converge to a particular distribution. The desired distribution is achieved when the agents divide themselves into a fixed number of sub-groups while consenting on “gains” which are associated to every subgroup. The model allows us to quantify the impact of limited sensing, motion, and communication capabilities on the rate at which the distribution is achieved. Finally, we show how this theory is useful in solving a cooperative surveillance problem.