Multiagent Conflict Resolution Planning

This paper contributes to the multiagent constraint framework for synthesizing correct local plans and coordination strategies for every participating agent, and meeting their local goals without conflict or blocking. Existing work has focused mainly on developing conflict resolution algorithms for various different types of constraint systems. This paper addresses a new but related problem called multiagent conflict resolution planning for multiple coordination plans. To resolve all potential conflicts between multiagent plans, the problem is to be able to efficiently plan and intelligently select an optimal process plan showing the sequential or partial orders of applying conflict resolution algorithms. A generic approach to the problem is developed that is applicable to various types of constraint systems. Two new innovations are proposed: (1) A comprehensible network model that shows the relationships between agents and their constraints, and (2) a compact AND/OR graph representation of conflict resolution (process) plans. An AND/OR graph plan generation algorithm is proposed and evaluated. The selection of an optimal conflict resolution plan over the AND/OR graph representation is discussed. A case study is presented.