A Methodological Framework for Self-Evolving Multi-Agent Systems: Toward Adaptive and Continuous Learning in LLM-Based Architectures

This study proposes the Self-Evolving Multi-Agent Framework (SEMAF) to address the prevalent issues of rigidity and knowledge drift in current Large Language Model (LLM)-based multi-agent systems. While existing frameworks rely on static, role-based collaboration, SEMAF introduces a dynamic and adaptive architecture that allows agents to continuously learn, self-diagnose, and reorganize their structure within dynamic environments. The core of SEMAF integrates three innovative components: a knowledge graph Layer for structured continuous knowledge integration and catastrophic forgetting mitigation, a multi-source feedback collector for generating quantitative reinforcement signals, and an Evolution Engine that drives self-improvement through collective reflection and policy optimization. Notably, SEMAF implements an Adaptation Layer that executes dynamic role reorganization to maintain collaborative efficiency when communication bottlenecks are detected. To enable systematic validation of self-evolving systems, this study proposes a comprehensive experimental methodology that includes three novel meta-metrics: the learning rate of adaptation (LRA), which measures adaptation speed; the collaboration efficiency (CE), which evaluates result quality against communication cost; and the knowledge retention index (KRI), which assesses knowledge consistency during continuous learning. The proposed evaluation framework provides protocols for environmental simulation, baseline comparison, statistical validation, and ablation studies. By offering both a theoretical framework for self-evolution and a rigorous methodology for empirical validation, this study makes a significant contribution to the advancement of autonomous, robust, and trustworthy AI systems. The proposed approach lays the foundation for future research on adaptive multi-agent architectures and provides generalized evaluation criteria applicable to various self-evolving AI systems.