A Survey of Collectives

Due to the increasing sophistication and miniaturization of computational components, complex, distributed systems of interacting agents are becoming ubiquitous. Such systems, where each agent aims to optimize its own performance, but there is a well-defined set of system-level performance criteria, are called collectives. The fundamental problem in analyzing and designing such systems is in determining how the combined actions of a large number of agents lead to “coordinated” behavior on the global scale. Examples of artificial systems that exhibit such behavior include packet routing across a data network, control of an array of communication satellites, coordination of multiple rovers, and dynamic job scheduling across a distributed computer grid. Examples of natural systems include ecosystems, economies, and the organelles within a living cell.