A commitment-based approach to agent communication

In this paper, we propose an operational method for the definition of the semantics of agent communication languages based on the notion of social commitment. Our proposal is suitable for open interaction frameworks where agents, designed by independent constructors, dynamically enter and leave different interaction systems. In this type of environment, it is crucial to define standard and commonly accepted semantics for the exchanged messages. We give an operational specification of commitment and introduce temporal propositions for the representation of the contents of commitments within an object-oriented paradigm. Then we use operations on commitments to define the meaning of a set of communicative acts that is complete with respect to Searle's taxonomy of illocutionary acts, and give an example of the use of communicative acts in an interaction protocol.