The multilevel hypernetwork dynamics of complex systems of robot soccer agents

Reviewer: Maria L. Gini

Hypergraphs can be used as a tool to represent relationships among agents. This paper focuses on RoboCup, but includes outlines on how hypergraphs can be used for other applications, such as chess and machine vision. The idea is to capture the n -ary relationships that exist among groups of agents, and to construct a multilevel hypernetwork, where higher levels correspond to a more abstract view of the relationships between the agents. In RoboCup, these relationships are dynamic as players move in the field. At the lowest level, the nodes of the hypernetwork represent pairs of players. As the levels increase, the nodes represent groups of players, and then roles, such as attack and defense. At the highest level, the root node represents the entire team. Sequences of actions of the players produce trajectories in this multidimensional space, and can be analyzed and controlled via actions taken by the players. The hope is that hypernetworks will be tools for the agents to recognize good and bad trajectories, and to act accordingly. The paper relates the use of hypernetworks to the science of complex systems and to emergence, but the connection is only marginally relevant to what is presented. The paper is rich with examples, which makes it easy reading, but it is short on precise definitions, which can be frustrating. For example, I could not find a description of how a hypernetwork differs from a hypergraph. The theory presented is intriguing, and has the potential to change the way interactions among agents in multiagent systems are modeled. Unfortunately, the paper lacks evidence that the theory is capable of producing the desired results. The paper contains detailed examples of situations in RoboCup, but the analysis is done manually after the game, and no algorithm is presented. Online Computing Reviews Service