What is a rational agent?

A rational agent is a computer program capable of autonomous decisions to achieve the desired goals. Such programs can collect information about their environment to collect as much data as possible to support their decisions. They can also evaluate the result to determine whether the final choice is good and how they could improve results in the future. Designing rational agents requires knowledge of computer programming and the ability to develop models and preferences within the program. Some rational agents are simple and can rely strongly on a very basic model. For example, a rational agent could be responsible for checking the departing mail to ensure that the information about the post office is completed to reduce the risk of returned items to the sender. It can use a model of addresses should look like to check against optical scanning and either to receive or refuse the items for mail.

More complicated agents may have to make more decisions to act in their environment, or would require complex models to help them identify specific problems in the situation. The aim of a rational agent is to choose the most optimal result, due to a number of possibilities and a specific situation. It can measure success according to the reaction and can learn from it and adjust behavior in the future. For example, a rational reagent in a nuclear plant responsible for temperature control in the reactor knows what affects the core temperatures and how it can adjust them if temperatures rise or fall within an established range.

Success is not always possible because rational agents are not omniscient. They cannot anticipate any possible result and may not be able to compensate for events outside their control. When the problem arises, the agent can evaluate it to find out that he happens and if it could be foreseen. If, for exampleAnd he launched the balloon, he could not take into account it in his calculations. Starting could fail, but not because of nothing that a rational agent did.

Sometimes computer programming courses include discussions about rational agents, along with simple programming tasks that allow students to create their own. More complex programs can be developed in information technology, science, medicine and other fields where automated actors may be necessary. The more complicated, the greater the functionality.