Multi-agent systems are a field of artificial intelligence that focuses on the design and study of systems composed of multiple autonomous entities, called agents, which interact with each other and with the surrounding environment to achieve specific goals. 

Each agent is capable of perceiving the environment, processing information, making decisions, and acting autonomously, often following specific rules or strategies.

 These agents can be designed to collaborate, compete, or even negotiate with each other, creating complex dynamics and emergent phenomena in the overall system. 

Multi-agent systems find applications in a wide range of sectors, such as traffic control, social simulation, logistics management, robotics, offering a flexible and distributed approach to solving complex problems.