Intresset för agenter som forskningsområde är någonting relativt nytt. Agenter i sig är en naturlig del av Artificiell intelligens men det är först på senare tid som de hamnat i fokus. Begreppet agent har spridit sig som en löpeld utanför AI-forskningen och kan hittas i många andra områden. Vad detta intresse för agenter kommer ifrån kan debatteras men det är troligtvis dels en följd av att internet visat hur kraftfullt ett distribuerat system kan vara, och att agenter och botar bokar våra biljetter samt söker igenom webbsidor åt oss.Arbetets huvudfråga är att undersöka hur ett intelligent system (för värmedistributionen i ett hus) kan uppnås genom att koppla ihop ett antal agenter med begränsade funktionalitet och distinkta uppgifter. Intelligensen i systemet ska uppnås genom samverkan mellan de olika agenterna.

The number of new estate agent offices is increasing yearly and each year many hundred new estate agents graduate. The comparing of estate agents by sellers has perhaps been most common in larger cities, but as competition has increased even in smaller towns we experience that it has become a common phenomenon even there. We both come from a small town but are not afraid of the idea of moving to a larger city as newly qualified estate agents. We ask ourselves, which are the determining factors in the choice of a estate agent in a large city as opposed to a small town? Can we see any differences? The purpose with this essay is to give us added knowledge about which factors private persons consider to be important in their choice of an estate agent when selling a house.The body of information is based on two parallel surveys, one in Hudiksvall and one in Stockholm, together with interviews of people in this line of business.

Abstract Our society is becoming increasingly multicultural and so are our schools. This study raises the question of how teachers are working to promote multi-culture and how they can create an understanding of the diversity in the classroom. One way is to use the literature. Literature is already well integrated by many teachers and widely used by pupils. By making use of literature related to multi-culture, pupils can get a deeper understanding of our society.

Multi-brand portfolios are characterized by comprising many brands in the same product category. Companies that have chosen to organize their products according to this strategy are facing both possibilities, such as expanding the accessible market size, and challenges such as how to organize the brands, their individual roles and their relation and position to the other brands in the category to maximize revenues. To address these aspects of multi-brand portfolios, I have investigated four product categories where multiple brands are represented at Mölnlycke Health Care, Unilever, Fagerhult and L?Oréal; how the multi-brand portfolios are organized, how the segmentation, positioning and product differentiation are done and what advantages and disadvantages that are associated with this strategy. My conclusions are that multi-brand portfolios can be organized in many different ways and to become successful, they have to be set in relation to the company?s whole brand architecture.

Today multi-touch technology is the basis for many new techniques designed to improve interactions with computers and mobile devices. It seems that multi-touch screen interface makes the user handling very natural in the sense that there is no need for a manual in how to interact with the object on the screen. The aim with this paper is to establish a fundamental set of design principles intended specifically for large multi-touch interfaces. To reach this goal we have implemented a couple of sub-goals beforehand: It was essential that we acquired a good understanding of the current state of the multi-touch interface and the different implementations that exist today. To make this possible we constructed a multi-touch display, "Rosie". Knowing how the hardware is produced today will help us understand the limitations and also the possibilities of the design implementations today and in the future. We also needed to devise a sound interaction design process that conveys the modern designers work.

Purpose/Aim: The aim of this thesis was to examine how multi channel publishing in different stages effect the work for journalists.Material/Method: The thesis is based on ten case studies selected from the literature and one conducted especially for this thesis. The case studies have been categorized according to a model that describes three strategies for multi channel publishing. The first strategy is to have a primary publishing channel, the second is to have separate editorial staffs for all publishing channels and the third is to treat all publishing channels equally.Main results: Journalists working for companies using the first strategy have not experienced any major differences in working conditions or work practices. For journalists employed by companies using the second strategy for multi channel publishing the effects on the journalists was noticeable but not major. The effects on journalists in companies using the third strategy are mainly stress and an uncertainty regarding how to use special media techniques..

This thesis examines the effects of the Swedish school reforms that took place in the early 1990?s. Theories such as Principal-Agent, Stewardship and Lipsky?s street-level bureaucracy are discussed as well as New Public Management (NPM). These reforms were heavily influenced by NPM, causing an increased level of street-level bureaucracy, and according to Principal-Agent theory some outcomes could have been predicted.

Aim: Many people react negatively when they find out that I work as an estate agent. They believe that estate agents earn more money then they should. What many do not know is how hard we must work and that it doesn´t suit someone who is looking for an 8-17 work. As an estate agent I thought it would be interesting to found out why the estate agents have such a bad reputation.Method: This essay is based on the interviews with estate agents and branch organizations but also on newspaper articles about real estate agents. Theory is collected marketing, where I have concentrate on concepts of branding, positioning, communication and image.Result & Conclusions: The factors, which I found in my investigation, that have an effect to the bad reputation are; media, commission, the customers and the bidding.

The largest project at the AICG lab at Linköping University, Cognitive models for virtual characters, focuses on creating an agent architecture for intelligent, virtual characters. The goal is to create an agent that acts naturally and gives a realistic user experience. The purpose of this thesis is to develop and implement an appropriate learning model that fits the existing agent architecture using an agile project methodology. The model developed can be seen as an online unsupervised reinforcement learning model that enhances experiences through reward. The model is based on Maes model where new effects are created depending on whether the agent is fulfilling its goals or not.The model we have developed is based on constant monitoring of the system.

Franchise theorists have to a large extent failed to keep up with the actual development in global franchise chains. The recent emergence of fast growing multi-unit-franchisees has fundamentally been ignored, and it has been claimed that the new phenomenon can be regarded as a mere replication of the franchisors? structure and control system into sub hierarchies. This study however, suggests that the reality is more complex. Through conducting case studies of two Nordic multi-unit-franchisees, new theories are built explaining how and why control systems are designed the way they are.

Detta examensarbete behandlar agenter och logiken som används för att styra dessa. ESR (Experimenterande Svenska Radioamatörer) är en geografiskt spridd organisation och fysiska möten mellan medlemmarna försvåras på grund av detta. Swap Meet, som är en del av Radioträff Syd, arrangeras årligen på olika platser runt om i Sverige. Medlemmar från andra platser i landet finner det då svårt att ta sig till dessa träffar. Dessutom vill många medlemmar köpa och sälja komponenter under hela året vilket inte är möjligt i dagsläget.

The purpose of this study is to explore the differences and similarities regarding the causes of and approaches to bullying among a number of girls and boys in third grade in two schools. One of the schools is in a mono-ethnic area and the other in a multi-ethnic.The purpose isto compare the results between the schools and the questions proposed are:What is the reason for the bullying?What are the differences and similarities in existing opinions on the practice of bullying?What are the differences and similarities of students' opinions on bullying in a mono-ethnic and in a multi-ethnic school?I have chosen to use gender and ethnicity theories and the study was conducted through qualitative group interviews. The results have shown that boys' explanations for bullying are more aggressive than girls, although approaches to bullying were more related with violence among boys. The multi-ethnic school uses more direct bullying compared to the mono-ethnic school where indirect bullying occurred more often.

It has become more common for organization to operate a lot of projects at the same time. These projects affect each other, either in way of resources or technical. Projects in a multi-project environment depend and affect each other, and in most cases they rival about resources, decision-makings and priority. To lead a project portfolio with several projects is a major challenge. The most common problems that occur are vague objective, unclear working conditions, resource shortage and problems of priority.

This thesis analyzes the consequences of ?Lex Uggla? ? a law concerning the boundaries between firm and individual with respect to wealth taxation ? for small businesses, with more than 3 million SEK in over-liquidity. There are two main findings of this thesis. Firstly, the wealth taxation of non-operational assets seems to be an inefficient tax which costs the Swedish welfare system much more than it generates. Secondly, the change in actions among entrepreneurs following the extensive news coverage following the tax authority?s charges against the company of the well-known artist, Magnus Uggla (hence ?Lex Uggla?) illustrates that neither changes of rules nor new applications of rules is necessarily sufficient for an agent to change course of action.

The credit rating industry is a complex and fascinating industry. Its history stretches back more than 150 years and has gradually increased in importance. During its history the dynamics of the industry have changed. The extended-principal-agent model was developed by synthesizing different principal-agent-relationships into one model. This model provides a holistic understanding of the credit rating industry and illustrates the interdependence between the different relationships.