Robustness of Coordination Mechanisms i...

This paper investigates how robust coordination mechanisms employed by distributed problem solving systems are against communication errors. For this, an agent-based simulation based on the framework of NK fitness landscapes is applied. The study controls for different levels of erroneous communication and of interdependencies among the distributed problems to be solved. The results provide broad, though not universal support for detrimental effects of erroneous communication. Moreover, the results indicate that the complexity of the overall problem to be solved considerably shapes the sensitivity of coordination mechanisms to erroneous communication.