Collective Memory Task Environment

We consider the task environment to be a problem solving activity populated with multiple adaptive agents [Alterman1988] of differing abilities and very limited knowledge about each other. The cycle of activity for the community is given below. The difference between steps 3c and 4 is that an agent is assumed to have very little spare time to update her memory while solving the problem, but afterwards she has time to reflect upon her activity in more detail.

1. Give the community a set of goals to achieve.
2. Allocate the goals among the agents.
3. Until all agents have achieved their goals:
   1. Active agents use CM to create/adapt a plan.  
   2. Agents with plans attempt an operator.
   3. Make on-line adjustments to CM. 
4. Make off-line adjustments to CM. 

It is impossible to guarantee that agents will find efficient solutions without using previous experience, since there is no mandated cooperation or coordination strategy. The agents have common top-level goals, but they all have their own point of view on how best to proceed. Through the use of CM, agents start having a ``common viewpoint'' on how to best achieve a solution. That is, an agent remembers successful patterns of cooperation in which she was involved, and can use them as a basis for future interactions. In novel situations, where no such common viewpoint has been established, there is no mechanism to force the agents to do the most sensible thing; in other words, agents might refuse to assist when they should, or agree to help when they should not.