multi-agent-patternslisted

# Multi-Agent Architecture Patterns Distribute work across multiple LM instances w/ isolated context windows. Sub-agents exist to isolate context, not to anthropomorphize roles. ## When to Activate - Single-agent context limits constrain task complexity - Tasks decompose into parallel subtasks - Different subtasks need different tools | system prompts - Building multi-domain agent systems ## Core Concepts Three patterns: supervisor/orchestrator (centralized), peer-to-peer/swarm (flexible handoffs), hierarchical (layered abstraction). Key principle: context isolation — sub-agents partition context, not simulate org roles. Requires explicit coordination protocols & consensus mechanisms avoiding sycophancy. ## Token Economics | Architecture | Token Multiplier | Use Case | |---|---|---| | Single agent | 1x | Simple queries | | Agent w/ tools | ~4x | Tool-using tasks | | Multi-agent | ~15x | Complex research/coordination | BrowseComp: token usage explains 80% of performance variance. Model upgrades often outperform doubling token budgets — model selection & multi-agent architecture are complementary. ## Parallelization Tasks w/ independent subtasks: assign each to dedicated agent w/ fresh context. All work simultaneously -> total time approaches longest subtask, not sum of all. ## Architectural Patterns ### Pattern 1: Supervisor/Orchestrator ``` User Query -> Supervisor -> [Specialist, Specialist, Specialist] -> Aggregation -> Final O