Special issue on Current trends in research on software agents and agent-based software systems

This special issue delves into the current state and future directions of research on software agents and agent-based software systems. After over two decades of development, high-profile applications of software agents are now prevalent, although their use in software development is not yet common practice. The issue originated from discussions sparked by the passing of Fabio Bellifemine, a key figure in the field. It includes three articles that cover a wide range of research trends, from logic-based technologies for multi-agent systems to the use of agents in mobile app development and norm revision in complex systems. The papers provide a systematic review of declarative and logic approaches in multi-agent systems, demonstrate the power of agent-based software development in mobile applications, and showcase the use of agents for solving complex problems. Collectively, these articles offer insights into active research topics and potential future directions in the field of software agents and agent-based software systems.