On adaptive networks and network reification

This chapter is a brief preview of what can be expected in this book, with some pointers to various chapters and sections. First, it is discussed how networks can be adaptive in different ways and according to different orders. A variety of examples of first and second-order adaptation are summarized, and the possibility of adaptation of order higher than two is discussed. After this, the notion of network reification is briefly summarized and how it can be used to model adaptive networks in a transparent and network-oriented manner. It is pointed out how repeated application of network reification can be used to model adaptive networks with the adaptation of multiple orders. Finally, it is discussed how mathematical analysis of emerging behavior of a network not only can be applied to non-adaptive base networks, but also to reified adaptive networks.