Abstract:
An agent aims to secure his projected needs by attempting to build a set of (business) relationships with other agents. A relationship is built by exchanging private infomlation, and is characterised by its intimacy - degree of closeness - and balance - degree of fairness, Each argumentative interaction between two agcnts thell has two goals: to satisfy some immediate need, and to do so in a way that develops the relationship in a desired direction. An agent's desirelfo develop each relationship in a particular way then places constraints on the argumentative utterances. The form of negotiation described is argumentative interaction constrained by a desire to develop such relationships.
