Smart materials in materials science

The basic categories of materials which form the row in order of complication of their performance such as simple–multifunctional–adaptive–active–smart are considered. Energy aspects of external effects upon materials, and behavior of materials response to the stimuli of physical, chemical and biological nature, are examined. A model of smart material is proposed as the atom-molecular structure provided with a feedback system which corrects the primary reaction of material upon effect of surroundings via optimal usage of its energy.