The Mallinckrodt Cycle: Structural Compression, Resonance Collapse, and Adaptive Capacity in Complex Systems — A Theoretical Positioning Paper

This paper introduces the Mallinckrodt Cycle, a theoretical framework describing a recurrent collapse mechanism in complex adaptive systems. The central argument is that systemic failure arises not primarily from external shocks or disorder, but from internal processes of structural compression that progressively reduce a system’s effective configuration space and oscillatory flexibility.The framework formalizes five phases: Expansion, Integration, Compression, Brittleness, and Collapse (Singularization). A conceptual energy equation (E = S · S_max²) is proposed to formalize the relationship between realized entropy, potential configuration space, and systemic adaptive potential. The Compression–Resonance–Tension Index (CRTI) is introduced as a composite diagnostic indicator for early warning detection of Phase III–IV dynamics.The framework is positioned relative to resilience theory (Holling, Panarchy), critical transition theory (Scheffer, Dakos), antifragility (Taleb), and recent entropy-collapse literature (Truong et al., 2025). It does not claim the status of a universal physical law but offers a formal conceptual scaffold for cross-domain analysis of structural fragility in ecological, organizational, economic, and social systems. complex adaptive systems structural compression adaptive capacity resonance collapse Mallinckrodt Cycle CRTI Compression-Resonance-Tension Index singularization systemic fragility critical transitions resilience theory panarchy antifragility entropy collapse early warning signals phase transitions complexity science systems theory nonlinear dynamics organizational resilience