Collective intelligence: the distributed cooperative systems approach

• Grant number: 15/21689-2
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: February 01, 2016
• End date: January 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics
• Principal Investigator: José Fernando Fontanari
• Grantee: José Fernando Fontanari
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The idea of a collective intelligence behind the complex natural structures built by organisms suggests that their social organization is selected so as to optimize problem-solving competence at the group-level. The benefits of cooperative work have long been explored by nature as revealed by the collective structures built by termites and slime molds. These structures may be thought of as the organisms' solutions to the problems that endanger their existence. Within this perspective, competence in problem solving should be viewed as a selection pressure on the size and organization of groups of gregarious animals. In this research project we use minimal agent-based models to investigate in which conditions and how cooperation improves the problem-solving performance of a group of agents. The task the agents must solve are NP-Complete problems such as finding the unique global maximum of a NK fitness landscape or solving constraint satisfaction problems. Agents cooperate by broadcasting messages informing on their status (i.e., the value of the solution they found at the current trial) and use this information to imitate the highest status agent in their influence networks. This exchange of messages between agents informing each other on their partial success towards the completion of the task is the defining feature of distributed cooperative problem-solving systems. In addition, since the dissemination of pieces of the solution through the population can be seen as a process of "diffusion of innovations" we will also study this process within the problem-solving context as well as in the context of Axelrod's model for the dissemination of culture. (AU)

Scientific publications

(12)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

REIA, SANDRO M.; FONTANARI, JOSE F.. Effect of group organization on the performance of cooperative processes. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY, v. 30, n. SI, p. 47-56, JUN 2017. (15/17277-0, 15/21689-2)

REIA, SANDRO M.; HERRMANN, SEBASTIAN; FONTANARI, JOSE F.. Impact of centrality on cooperative processes. Physical Review E, v. 95, n. 2, FEB 9 2017. (15/17277-0, 15/21689-2)

FONTANARI, JOSE F.. Reputation blackboard systems. COGNITIVE SYSTEMS RESEARCH, v. 50, p. 29-35, AUG 2018. (15/21689-2)

FONTANARI, JOSE F.. The Collapse of Ecosystem Engineer Populations. MATHEMATICS, v. 6, n. 1, JAN 2018. (15/21689-2)

FONTANARI, JOSE F.; SANTOS, MAURO. The revival of the Baldwin effect. European Physical Journal B, v. 90, n. 10, OCT 11 2017. (15/21689-2)

REIA, SANDRO M.; FONTANARI, JOSE F.. Effect of long-range interactions on the phase transition of Axelrod's model. PHYSICAL REVIEW E, v. 94, n. 5, p. 7-pg., 2016-11-30. (15/17277-0, 15/21689-2)

REIA, SANDRO M.; FONTANARI, JOSE F.. Effect of long-range interactions on the phase transition of Axelrod's model. Physical Review E, v. 94, n. 5, NOV 30 2016. (15/17277-0, 15/21689-2)

FONTANARI, JOSE F.. Awareness improves problem-solving performance. COGNITIVE SYSTEMS RESEARCH, v. 45, p. 52-58, OCT 2017. (15/21689-2)

FRANCO, CAROLINE; FONTANARI, JOSE F.. The spatial dynamics of ecosystem engineers. MATHEMATICAL BIOSCIENCES, v. 292, p. 76-85, OCT 2017. (15/21689-2, 15/21452-2)

FONTANARI, JOSE F.. When more of the same is better. EPL, v. 113, n. 2, JAN 2016. (15/21689-2)

REIA, SANDRO M.; HERRMANN, SEBASTIAN; FONTANARI, JOSE F.. Impact of centrality on cooperative processes. PHYSICAL REVIEW E, v. 95, n. 2, p. 9-pg., 2017-02-09. (15/17277-0, 15/21689-2)

REIA, SANDRO M.; FONTANARI, JOSE F.. Effect of group organization on the performance of cooperative processes. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY, v. 30, p. 10-pg., 2017-06-01. (15/17277-0, 15/21689-2)