Architectures for science: Intelligent agent technology

Abstract

I review the current architecture of the HTN and make three suggestions for the future. (i) We should retain the expertise split between agents which deal with the science programmes and those which deal with telescope constraints. This makes it easy to add new programmes or new telescopes. (ii) We should develop “look ahead” schedulers which attempt to schedule a whole night at once. This will give reliable calculations for the chance an observation will be carried out, and give a better chance that high priority time critical observations are successfully scheduled. (iii)We should strive to attract more science programmes to the HTN, in particular time critical observations spread over many nights, and non-time critical work which can benefit from access to databases and the literature. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)