Interagent

Interagent is an adjective and, less commonly, a noun used to describe things that occur between autonomous agents. In this sense, agents are entities capable of perceiving, deciding, and acting, such as software agents, robots, or human agents operating within a system. The term is widely applied in fields that study or deploy multiple interacting agents, including computer science, artificial intelligence, and distributed systems.

In multi-agent systems, interagent concepts cover the ways agents communicate, coordinate, negotiate, and cooperate to achieve goals. Interagent communication refers to the exchange of information or intents between agents, often following predefined protocols and message formats. Interagent coordination concerns the organization of actions among agents to avoid conflicts, share resources, or synchronize activities. Interagent negotiation describes processes by which agents reach mutually acceptable agreements, potentially over resource allocation, task assignment, or collaboration.

Standardization and protocols play a key role in interagent work. Practices such as agent communication languages, negotiation mechanisms, and ontologies enable interoperable interactions across heterogeneous agents. Notable examples in the field include contract-net style auctions and other negotiation patterns, as well as standards developed by organizations that promote interagent interoperability in distributed artificial intelligence.

Interagent concepts also appear in related areas, such as agent-based modeling, distributed systems, and human–agent collaboration, where interagent interactions influence system behavior and outcomes. The term remains descriptive rather than representing a single formal theory, serving to denote the relational dynamics between autonomous participants within a shared environment.