<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<?xml-stylesheet href="client.xsl" type="text/xsl"?>
<article article-type="other">
<front>
<journal-meta>
<journal-id/>
<issn/>
<banner>
<!--<href>banner.jpg</href>-->
<size width="100%"/>
</banner>
</journal-meta>
<article-meta>
<title-group>
<article-title>Rumours and Reputation: Evaluating Multi-Dimensional<br/>
Trust within a Decentralised Reputation System</article-title>
</title-group>

<author><a href="mailto:reece@robots.ox.ac.uk"><name>Steven Reece</name></a></author>
<aff>Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK</aff>

<author><a href="mailto:acr@ecs.soton.ac.uk"><name>Alex Rogers</name></a></author>
<aff>Electronics and Computer Science, University of  Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK</aff>

<author><a href="mailto:sjrob@robots.ox.ac.uk"><name>Stephen Roberts</name></a></author>
<aff>Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PJ, UK</aff>

<author><a href="mailto:nrj@ecs.soton.ac.uk"><name>Nicholas R. Jennings</name></a></author>
<aff>Electronics and Computer Science, University of  Southampton, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK</aff>


</article-meta></front>
<body>
<abstract>
<title>ABSTRACT</title>
<p>In this paper we develop a novel probabilistic model of computational
trust that explicitly deals with correlated multi-dimensional
contracts. Our starting point is to consider an agent attempting to
estimate the utility of a contract, and we show that this leads to a
model of computational trust whereby an agent must determine a
vector of estimates that represent the probability that any dimension
of the contract will be successfully fulfilled, and a covariance
matrix that describes the uncertainty and correlations in these probabilities.
We present a formalism based on the Dirichlet distribution
that allows an agent to calculate these probabilities and correlations
from their direct experience of contract outcomes, and we show that
this leads to superior estimates compared to an alternative approach
using multiple independent beta distributions. We then show how
agents may use the sufficient statistics of this Dirichlet distribution
to communicate and fuse reputation within a decentralised reputation
system. Finally, we present a novel solution to the problem
of rumour propagation within such systems. This solution uses the
notion of private and shared information, and provides estimates
consistent with a centralised reputation system, whilst maintaining
the anonymity of the agents, and avoiding bias and overconfidence.</p>
</abstract>
<fpdf>
<href>pdflogo.jpg</href>
<hpdf>AAMAS07_0384_b2c2bd3c30d8633082d795ad55481898</hpdf>
</fpdf>
</body>
</article>

