Reactivi

Reactivi is a term used in theoretical discussions of autonomous software systems to describe a class of lightweight, event-driven agents that operate within larger applications or distributed environments. In this usage, a reactivo is a small program that senses changes in its surroundings, makes a local decision, and issues actions or messages to other components. The term is not standardized and appears mainly in speculative, educational, or niche industry writings.

Origins and scope: Reactivi draw on ideas from reactive programming and agent-based modeling. They are designed to be composable, resilient, and capable of operating with partial information. Architecturally, they emphasize asynchronous communication, loose coupling, and bounded context rather than centralized control.

Core characteristics: asynchronous, message-based communication; lightweight, bounded state; lifecycle management (spawn, suspend, resume, terminate); fault tolerance through supervision or retry policies; dynamic discovery and routing; security and governance considerations; and observability through metrics and traces.

Patterns and integration: reactivi are often implemented as microagents within service meshes or edge platforms. Common patterns include publish-subscribe, request-reply, and fan-out/fan-in coordination. They typically rely on adapters to connect with existing services and data streams.

Applications and critique: potential use cases include orchestration of microservices, Internet of Things edge automation, adaptive user interfaces, and simulation environments. Critics warn of added complexity and the absence of standard terminology, urging careful governance and clear boundaries to prevent fragmentation.

See also: reactive programming, agent-based modeling, actor model, microservices.