Basic Concepts of Hierarchical Planning

Abstract

This chapter provides the foundations for a theory of hierarchical planning in distributed decision making. It describes in particular the interior structure of a hierarchy in mathematical terms. This description culminates in the derivation of the so-called coupling equations (2.5) which will be the origin for all further developments. Consequently, the equations are purely conceptual, i.e., they solely describe structural relationships. To handle particular situations, a further specification is needed. Some of the more basic concepts, like the team or non-team character of the levels (Sec. 2.3), or the type of anticipation (Sec. 2.4), are presented here. All other specifications, particularly those describing concrete practical situations requiring specific empirical data, are left for subsequent chapters.