VoltAgent Multi-Agent Systems
VoltAgent framework for building multi-agent AI systems with categorical coordination patterns.
Installation
npm install @voltagent/core
Core Categorical Concepts
VoltAgent maps to category theory:
- Agent: Object with typed input/output interface
- Message: Morphism between agent states
- Supervisor: Functor coordinating agent composition
- Handoff: Natural transformation between agents
- Memory: State monad for agent context
Basic Agent Definition
import { Agent, createAgent, Tool } from '@voltagent/core';
import { z } from 'zod';
// Define agent with typed schema
const researcherAgent = createAgent({
name: 'researcher',
description: 'Researches topics and gathers information',
// Input/output schemas (object types)
inputSchema: z.object({
query: z.string(),
depth: z.enum(['shallow', 'deep']).default('shallow')
}),
outputSchema: z.object({
findings: z.array(z.string()),
sources: z.array(z.string()),
confidence: z.number().min(0).max(1)
}),
// Tools available to agent
tools: [searchTool, summarizeTool],
// System prompt
systemPrompt: `You are a research agent.
Gather information thoroughly and cite sources.`
});
Tool Definition
const searchTool = new Tool({
name: 'web_search',
description: 'Search the web for information',
parameters: z.object({
query: z.string(),
maxResults: z.number().default(5)
}),
execute: async ({ query, maxResults }) => {
// Implementation
return { results: [`Result for: ${query}`] };
}
});
const summarizeTool = new Tool({
name: 'summarize',
description: 'Summarize text content',
parameters: z.object({
text: z.string(),
maxLength: z.number().default(100)
}),
execute: async ({ text, maxLength }) => {
return { summary: text.slice(0, maxLength) + '...' };
}
});
Multi-Agent Coordination
Supervisor Pattern (Functor)
import { Supervisor, createSupervisor } from '@voltagent/core';
// Supervisor as functor: coordinates agent composition
const teamSupervisor = createSupervisor({
name: 'team_lead',
description: 'Coordinates research and writing agents',
agents: [researcherAgent, writerAgent, reviewerAgent],
// Routing strategy (coproduct selection)
routingStrategy: 'llm', // or 'round-robin', 'priority'
// Completion condition
completionCondition: (state) =>
state.messages.some(m => m.content.includes('TASK_COMPLETE')),
// Max iterations (fixed-point bound)
maxIterations: 10
});
// Execute supervised task
const result = await teamSupervisor.run({
task: 'Research and write an article about quantum computing',
context: {}
});
Agent Handoff (Natural Transformation)
import { handoff, HandoffCondition } from '@voltagent/core';
// Natural transformation: Agent A ⇒ Agent B
const researchToWriter = handoff({
from: researcherAgent,
to: writerAgent,
// Transform output of A to input of B
transform: (researchOutput) => ({
topic: researchOutput.query,
facts: researchOutput.findings,
sources: researchOutput.sources
}),
// Condition for handoff
condition: (output) => output.confidence > 0.7
});
// Chain with handoffs
const pipeline = createPipeline([
researcherAgent,
researchToWriter,
writerAgent,
writerToReviewer,
reviewerAgent
]);
Parallel Agent Execution (Product)
import { parallel, ParallelConfig } from '@voltagent/core';
// Product of agents: run in parallel, combine results
const parallelAnalysis = parallel({
agents: [
sentimentAgent,
keywordAgent,
summaryAgent
],
// Combine results (product type)
combiner: (results) => ({
sentiment: results[0].sentiment,
keywords: results[1].keywords,
summary: results[2].summary,
combined_confidence: Math.min(...results.map(r => r.confidence))
})
});
const analysisResult = await parallelAnalysis.run({
text: 'Analyze this document...'
});
State Management (State Monad)
import { AgentState, createStatefulAgent } from '@voltagent/core';
interface ResearchState {
findings: string[];
sourcesVisited: string[];
iterationCount: number;
}
const statefulResearcher = createStatefulAgent<ResearchState>({
name: 'stateful_researcher',
initialState: {
findings: [],
sourcesVisited: [],
iterationCount: 0
},
// State transition (morphism)
transition: (state, action) => {
switch (action.type) {
case 'ADD_FINDING':
return {
...state,
findings: [...state.findings, action.finding],
iterationCount: state.iterationCount + 1
};
case 'VISIT_SOURCE':
return {
...state,
sourcesVisited: [...state.sourcesVisited, action.source]
};
default:
return state;
}
},
// State-aware execution
execute: async (input, state, dispatch) => {
// Can read state and dispatch actions
if (state.iterationCount >= 5) {
return { done: true, findings: state.findings };
}
const finding = await search(input.query);
dispatch({ type: 'ADD_FINDING', finding });
return { done: false, currentFinding: finding };
}
});
Memory and Context
import { Memory, createMemory } from '@voltagent/core';
// Shared memory (Reader monad pattern)
const sharedMemory = createMemory({
type: 'vector', // or 'key-value', 'graph'
config: {
embeddings: openaiEmbeddings,
maxItems: 1000,
similarityThreshold: 0.7
}
});
// Agent with memory access
const memoryAgent = createAgent({
name: 'memory_agent',
memory: sharedMemory,
// Memory-aware system prompt
systemPrompt: `You have access to shared memory.
Use it to recall previous findings and maintain context.`,
// Memory tools
tools: [
sharedMemory.tools.remember,
sharedMemory.tools.recall,
sharedMemory.tools.forget
]
});
Categorical Patterns
Agent as Functor
// Map over agent outputs
const mappedAgent = researcherAgent.map(output => ({
...output,
findings: output.findings.map(f => f.toUpperCase()),
processedAt: new Date()
}));
// Functor laws hold:
// agent.map(id) ≡ agent
// agent.map(f).map(g) ≡ agent.map(x => g(f(x)))
Agent Composition (Kleisli)
import { compose } from '@voltagent/core';
// Kleisli composition: (A → M B) → (B → M C) → (A → M C)
const researchThenWrite = compose(
researcherAgent,
writerAgent,
// Transform function
(researchOutput) => ({
topic: researchOutput.query,
content: researchOutput.findings.join('\n')
})
);
// Associativity: compose(compose(f, g), h) ≡ compose(f, compose(g, h))
Natural Transformation Between Agent Types
// Transform ReAct agent to simple agent
const reactToSimple = <I, O>(reactAgent: ReActAgent<I, O>): SimpleAgent<I, O> => ({
name: reactAgent.name,
execute: async (input) => {
const trace = await reactAgent.executeWithTrace(input);
return trace.finalOutput;
}
});
// Naturality: for all f: A → B
// reactToSimple(reactAgent).map(f) ≡ reactToSimple(reactAgent.map(f))
Error Handling
import { AgentError, retry, fallback } from '@voltagent/core';
// Retry with exponential backoff
const resilientAgent = retry(researcherAgent, {
maxAttempts: 3,
backoff: 'exponential',
initialDelay: 1000
});
// Fallback to alternative agent
const withFallback = fallback(
primaryAgent,
fallbackAgent,
(error) => error instanceof RateLimitError
);
Observability
import { trace, observe } from '@voltagent/core';
// Trace agent execution
const tracedAgent = trace(researcherAgent, {
onStart: (input) => console.log('Starting:', input),
onTool: (tool, args) => console.log('Tool call:', tool, args),
onComplete: (output) => console.log('Completed:', output),
onError: (error) => console.error('Error:', error)
});
// Collect metrics
const observedAgent = observe(researcherAgent, {
metrics: ['latency', 'token_usage', 'tool_calls'],
exporter: prometheusExporter
});
Categorical Guarantees
VoltAgent ensures these categorical properties:
- Type Safety: Zod schemas enforce input/output types
- Composability: Agents compose via Kleisli arrows
- Naturality: Handoffs preserve agent structure
- State Isolation: Each agent has isolated state
- Determinism: Same input + same seed = same trace
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