# Multi-agent

Several specialist agents (code agent, tickets agent) coordinated by a supervisor.

AI developers · Part 04: Agents · Card 10 of 11 · Last updated 2026-10-13

## 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.

## Related concepts

- [Router](https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/agents/router-pattern)
- [ReAct](https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/agents/react-pattern)
- [Plan-and-execute](https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/agents/plan-and-execute)
- [Agent](https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/agents/agent)

Web page: https://studyvisually.com/learn/tech/ai-developers/agents/multi-agent
Study this card in the app: https://studyvisually.com/app/learn?category=ai-developers&card=multi-agent