Abstract

Effective communication among agents in open multi-agent systems (MASs) is crucial for their development. Agents operate autonomously within unpredictable environments, necessitating consideration of security, social, and communicative modalities. Trust and social commitments are pivotal in modeling secure communication mechanisms. While efforts have been made to define their semantics separately, a deeper exploration of their connection is needed.
IoT and ad hoc networks have introduced novel service models in multi-agent applications, but effective communication remains essential for coordinating various components. This cooperation enables addressing challenges exceeding individual capabilities. Ensuring component reliability is a primary concern, particularly with entities prone to malicious behavior.
Trust often varies in strength and depends on factors like past experiences and transparency. Critical systems rely on strong trust for data security and privacy, entrusting them with significant responsibilities.
This thesis proposes three verification approaches: 1) a framework, TCTLC, for handling trust over social commitments using the Model Checker for Multi-Agent Systems (MCMAS); 2) a three-valued trust model for uncertain IoT-ad hoc settings, validated through case studies in smart health monitoring and smart homes; and 3) a novel logic, TwsCTLC, capturing weak and strong trust over commitments in MASs, validated through a scalable case study.
These contributions aim to advance trust and commitment management in MASs and enhance IoT reliability in smart environments, providing practical tools for uncertain scenarios.