Collaborative nets

Large networks such as the electric grid, are controlled by multitudes of agents, such as relays, voltage regulators and optimization programs. To make such agents more effective, we suggest: a common framework for specifying tasks, a collaborative net by which neighboring agents can exchange information, and a protocol to ensure that the collaborations will be helpful. We propose a basic protocol and examine its properties both analytically and empirically. From the results, we conclude that collaborative nets have considerable potential. We identify the issues that must be resolved before this potential can be realized in practice.