Anticipatory Networks and Superanticipatory Systems

We will present the theory of anticipatory networks and show that it generalizes earlier models of consequence anticipation in multicriteria decision problem solving. The theory bases on an assumption that the decision-maker takes into account the anticipated outcomes of future decision problems linked in a prescribed manner by the causal relations with the present one. So arises a multigraph of decision problems linked causally (first relation) and representing additionally one or more anticipation relations. Such multigraphs will be termed anticipatory networks. Then we will introduce the notion of superanticipatory systems, which are anticipatory systems that contain a future model of at least one more anticipatory system beyond itself. It will be shown that non-trivial anticipatory networks are superanticipatory systems. Finally, we will discuss some real-life applications of anticipatory networks.