steve minton llvvrlufrvwfetchcom readers mailing list may interested following article recently published jair goldman cv zilberstein 2004 decentralized control cooperative systems categorization complexity analysis volume 22 pages 143174 quick access via www browser use url httpwwwjairorgabstractsgoldman04ahtml abstract decentralized control cooperative systems captures operation group decision makers share single global objective difficulty solving optimally problems arises agents lack full observability global state system operate general problem shown nexpcomplete paper identify classes decentralized control problems whose complexity ranges nexp p particular study problems characterized independent transitions independent observations goaloriented objective functions two algorithms shown solve optimally useful classes goaloriented decentralized processes polynomial time paper also studies information sharing among decisionmakers improve performance distinguish three ways agents exchange information indirect communication direct communication sharing state features controlled agents analysis shows every class problems consider introducing direct indirect communication change worstcase complexity results provide better understanding complexity decentralized control problems arise practice facilitate development planning algorithms problems article available via compaijairpapers also see compaijairannounce world wide web url world wide web server httpwwwjairorg direct access article related files try httpwwwjairorgabstractsgoldman04ahtml anonymous ftp carnegiemellon university usa ftpftpcscmueduprojectjairvolume22goldman04aps compressed postscript file named goldman04apsz information jair visit www ftp sites contact cakceqisiedu tue 05 aug 2008 181156 0800 uai jair article decentralized control