A Structural Meta-Criterion for Computability in Complex Physical Systems

We introduce a structural meta-criterion that determines whether a physical, chemical, or mathematical system admits a globally predictive, finite-dimensional, and single-valued description. Rather than proposing a new dynamical model or numerical method, this work precedes computation itself by identifying intrinsic structural obstructions that prevent saturation of theoretical extremal bounds. The criterion formalizes the observation that, in many constrained nonlinear systems, configurations required for maximal efficiency are incompatible with admissibility conditions such as projection, solenoidality, topology, or closure. This incompatibility generates an irreducible structural deficit, rendering exact prediction impossible regardless of computational power or analytical refinement. The framework is intentionally minimal, non-quantitative, and cross-disciplinary, serving as a pre-computational audit tool applicable to nonlinear PDEs, fluid dynamics, plasma physics, chemistry, materials science, and complex systems.