An introduction to agent-based negotiations and auctions by Maria Fasli

Course description:

Agents are well-suited for dynamic, constrained and real-time environments such as electronic marketplaces. In such environments agents representing their users negotiate for goods and services following negotiation protocols. Auctions are a class of negotiation protocols for allocating goods based upon competition among the interested parties. This tutorial will introduce participants to agent-based negotiation and auctions in particular.

The tutorial will start by introducing agent-based negotiation and negotiation protocols in general. Auctions will then be described in detail. Essential concepts that are required for following the tutorial will be introduced along the way. The four single side auction protocols (English, Dutch, FPSB, Vickrey) will be discussed in depth along with their relative advantages and disadvantages. Double auctions and the Mth and (M+1)st clearing rules will also be covered. A brief exposition into more advanced auction formats such as multi-attribute and combinatorial auctions will follow. Finally, how auctions can be used for agent-based negotiation in practice will be demonstrated by considering complex trading scenarios

Tutor bio:

Maria Fasli is a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Essex, UK. She obtained her Ph.D. in 2000 from Essex for her work on formal theories of agents. Her main research interests lie in formal theories of reasoning agents, and the applications of agent technology to e-commerce such as negotiation protocols, auctions, trading agents, supply chain management, as well as trust in electronic marketplaces. She has published papers in both areas. She has been leading teams in the International Trading Agent Competition (TAC) which features complex benchmark e-market problems since 2001 achieving consistently good results. She has also been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by the UK Higher Education Academy for her innovative approaches to learning and teaching. involving auctions.