Rational agent

A rational agent or rational being is a person or entity that always aims to perform optimal actions based on given premises and information. A rational agent can be anything that makes decisions, typically a person, firm, machine, or software.

Not to be confused with rational animal.

The concept of rational agents can be found in various disciplines such as artificial intelligence, cognitive science, decision theory, economics, ethics, game theory, and the study of practical reason.

the preferences of the agent

the agent's information of its environment, which may come from past experiences

the actions, duties and obligations available to the agent

the estimated or actual benefits and the chances of success of the actions.

Artificial intelligence[edit]

Artificial intelligence has borrowed the term "rational agents" from economics to describe autonomous programs that are capable of goal directed behavior. Today there is a considerable overlap between AI research, game theory and decision theory. Rational agents in AI are closely related to intelligent agents, autonomous software programs that display intelligence.^[1]

Agent (economics)

Homo economicus

TOTREP

; Rubinstein, Ariel (2001), A Course in Game Theory, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, p. 4, ISBN 0-262-65040-1

Osborne, Martin J.

(1994), Theory of the Leisure Class