Width, Memory, and Delay: A Resource Accounting for the Limits of Flat Multi-Agent Systems
3.60T1 sourcearXiv cs.MA
Source record
Published by arXiv cs.MA (T1 source). The original is at https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.00028.
Pipeline notes
The summary and note below are generated by the signal pipeline — they are Beyond Desk’s reading, not quotations from the source.
SummaryA preprint challenging the claim that flat multi-agent systems have an irreducible error floor requiring hierarchical organization. Using a disturbance-rejection testbed, the authors propose a quantitative resource model with three resources: population width, per-agent internal-model memory, and observation delay. They show flat swarms with matched internal models can match hierarchical designs, chart non-interchangeable resource boundaries, and distill four design rules.
Why it mattersProvides a resource-accounting framework for multi-agent and LLM-agent system design, quantifying when flat architectures suffice versus when hierarchy is required. Useful for practitioners choosing agent system topologies.
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