Structural Compression in Complex Systems: A Minimal Stability Framework Linking Adaptive Capacity, Systemic Stress, and the CRTI Diagnostic Index

Title Structural Compression in Complex Systems: A Minimal Stability Framework Linking Adaptive Capacity, Systemic Stress, and the CRTI Diagnostic Index Description This paper introduces a minimal conceptual and mathematical framework for analyzing instability in complex adaptive systems. The framework proposes that systemic instability does not arise primarily from external shocks or randomness, but from the internal accumulation of structural constraints that gradually reduce a system’s adaptive capacity. The central concept introduced in this work is Structural Compression, defined as the progressive densification of rules, coordination layers, institutional couplings, and technological interdependencies within complex systems. Structural compression reduces the degrees of freedom available for adaptation and can therefore erode the ability of systems to respond effectively to increasing environmental or internal pressures. Building on established research in resilience theory, nonlinear dynamics, and critical transitions, the framework connects three core variables: Structural Compression (C) Adaptive Capacity (A) Systemic Stress (S) System stability depends on the dynamic balance between these variables. Instability emerges when structural compression increases faster than adaptive capacity can compensate for growing systemic stress. To operationalize this relationship, the paper introduces the Compression–Resonance Thermodynamic Index (CRTI) as a diagnostic metric designed to quantify systemic instability. The CRTI provides a minimal mathematical formulation linking structural compression, adaptive capacity, and systemic stress and can be interpreted as a stability indicator for complex systems. The framework connects several previously separate strands of research, including: resilience and adaptive cycle theory critical transitions and early warning signals systemic risk in networked systems thermodynamic interpretations of complex adaptive systems In contrast to existing models that focus primarily on external shocks or statistical early-warning indicators, the Structural Compression framework emphasizes the endogenous dynamics through which systems accumulate structural constraints and thereby lose adaptive flexibility. The proposed model can be applied across a wide range of domains, including organizational systems, governance architectures, technological infrastructures, economic systems, and ecological networks. By conceptualizing instability as the result of increasing structural compression relative to adaptive capacity, the framework provides a unified perspective on systemic fragility and collapse dynamics. Future work may extend this approach by integrating network metrics, entropy-based measures, and empirical system datasets to further quantify compression dynamics and validate the CRTI diagnostic index. Keywords (optimal für Zenodo + Scholar) Structural Compression Adaptive Capacity Systemic Stress Complex Systems System Stability Critical Transitions Resilience Theory Nonlinear Dynamics Complexity Science Systemic Risk CRTI Index Early Warning Signals Optional: Additional Metadata (empfohlen) Communities complex-systems nonlinear-dynamics systems-theory License CC-BY 4.0 Version v1.0