Multi-agent
Several specialist agents (code agent, tickets agent) coordinated by a supervisor.
Last updated
Analogy
Microservices for agents. Great when the monolith gets unwieldy, painful when you split too early.
In an agent
Start with one agent and good tools. Split only when one prompt has too many tools and accuracy drops.
Practice
Flashcards
- What is a multi-agent system?Several specialist agents coordinated together, often by a supervisor.
- Interview: when do you split into multiple agents?When one prompt has too many tools or responsibilities and accuracy drops. Not before.
Interview questions
- Single agent or multi-agent?
- Start with one agent and good tools.
- Split into specialists only when one prompt has too many tools or responsibilities and accuracy drops.
- Multi-agent adds cost, latency and debugging complexity.
Questions people ask
When should I split one agent into multiple agents?
Only when one agent clearly struggles: its prompt carries too many tools or responsibilities and tool choice accuracy drops. Then split by specialty and coordinate the agents with a supervisor or router. Start with one agent and good tools. Splitting too early adds cost, latency and debugging pain.
What is a supervisor in a multi-agent system?
A supervisor is an agent or router that receives the request, decides which specialist agent should handle it, passes the work on, and combines the results. It works like a team lead handing out tickets. Each specialist keeps a small prompt and a small set of tools.