Search algorithms for automated negotiation in large domains

This work presents several new and efficient algorithms that can be used by negotiating agents to explore very large outcome spaces. The proposed algorithms can search for bids close to a utility target or above a utility threshold, and for win-win outcomes. While doing so, these algorithms strike a careful balance between being rapid, accurate, diverse, and scalable, allowing agents to explore spaces with as many as 10 ²⁵⁰ possible outcomes on very run-of-the-mill hardware. We show that our methods can be used to respond to the most common search queries employed by 87 % of all agents from the Automated Negotiating Agents Competition between 2010 and 2021. Furthermore, we integrate our techniques into negotiation platform GeniusWeb in order to enable existing state-of-the-art agents (and future agents) to handle very large outcome spaces.