Frame Absence, Burst Dynamics and Presentation-Layer Control

Modern frame pacing and performance control systems implicitly assume continuous frame production and model instability primarily as frametime variability. However, contemporary game engines and operating systems frequently exhibit frame absence: intervals where no frame is produced despite GPU readiness. This paper introduces a diagnostic-first mathematical framework that distinguishes frame absence from frametime variability, formalizes burst dynamics using higher-order temporal derivatives, and demonstrates why conventional control strategies fail under absence-dominant regimes. We present a multi-signal detection model combining frame supply ratio (FSR), power-state validation, curvature, jerk, and burst amplification metrics, and show that perceptual smoothness is maximized not by aggressive correction but by selective restraint at the presentation layer. The proposed framework is validated through a production-grade implementation deployed across multiple GPU architectures.