Three Communication Structures in Multi-Agent Systems
How agents connect to each other follows three structural patterns:
Centralized (Star): All agents connect to a central hub that coordinates interactions. Simple to design, efficient resource allocation, but creates a single point of failure. The hub bears the coordination burden. Example: federated learning with a central aggregator.
Decentralized (Peer-to-peer): Agents communicate directly with each other without central coordination. High resilience and scalability, system continues if some agents fail. But creates communication overhead and potential inefficiencies. Example: agents debating positions across multiple rounds.
Hierarchical (Layered): Agents arranged in levels with distinct roles. Communication flows primarily within layers or to adjacent layers. Balances centralized control with distributed execution. But edge nodes become critical, and latency increases across layers. Example: manager agents directing specialist agents.
The pattern I keep encountering: decentralized structures are more robust but harder to coordinate; centralized structures are easier to manage but more fragile.