Constraint programming and multi-agent systems engineering

Presents a design approach for multi-agent reactive systems in a CIM context. This approach allows the user to clearly define the system's needs and avoid ambiguities and contradictions. Also, it permits one to specify the multi-agent structure of real-time software and to make a rigorous verification of these specifications, and especially to validate the behaviour of the system. The validation process is implemented by reduction in the rewriting logic theory with the constraint programming language Prolog III. Valid code is automatically generated by using the vertical refinement technique (transformations). This method constitutes a complete approach for the analysis, structuring and design of reactive systems.