Achieving efficient and equitable collaboration among selfish agents using spender-signed currency

We study collaboration among selfish agents in the tactical airport planning domain. This can be seen as a social exchange scenario, in which the efforts of performing tasks are the resources that are being exchanged. We investigate conditions under which a market mechanism with the use of standard currency leads to efficient and equitable exchange among benevolent agents. We show that, if some agents are selfish, the mechanism can become inequitable and therefore unacceptable. A straight forward penalty rule is not enough to restore equity, as it is attractive to deviate from such a rule. As a solution, we present an novel currency system, under which malicious agents can be punished, resulting in efficient and equitable exchange. Copyright © 2008, International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (www.ifaamas.org). All rights reserved.