Modeling & simulation of educational multi-agent systems in DEVS-suite

This paper introduces the capabilities of a general-purpose modeling and simulation approach named DEVS in multi-agent educational systems. Simulation provides both qualitative and quantitative information about correctness and efficiency which can help validate a multi-agent system (architectural) design before its actual implementation and thus deployment. Dynamic agent data helps designers to modify, refine or even propose new agent abstractions. DEVS-Suite simulator, a realization of Parallel DEVS, can model all components interacting in a multi-agent system, helping the designer and programmer to evaluate the system performance before the real implementation. This paper develops a description of a multi-agent system named MOMENT. A set of abstractions are formulated and their designs are realized in DEVS-Suite. A sample simulation study is conducted to illustrate the use of the MOMENT simulation in understanding some key design and performance aspects of educational multi-agent systems.