What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to define structural drift as a critical measure for system viability in the context of resource limitations.

April 5, 2026Open Access

When Optimization Fails: Structural Drift Φ as a Necessary Condition for Survival

Key Points

The aim is to define structural drift as a critical measure for system viability in the context of resource limitations.
Introduced the concept of structural drift as a system-level measure.
Analyzed systems under resource constraints to evaluate performance.
Identified conditions leading to inevitable failure based on structural drift values.
Systems with structural drift (Φ) less than zero face inevitable failure in finite time.
Demonstrated that local performance can be misleading under certain conditions.
Highlighted significant limitations in current return-based optimization frameworks.

Abstract

We introduce structural drift (Φ) as a system-level measure of viability under resource constraints. Even when local performance appears optimal, systems with Φ < 0 inevitably fail in finite expected time. This work establishes Φ as a minimal necessary condition for survival and highlights a fundamental limitation of return-based optimization frameworks. The regime where long-term expected value is structurally negative is referred to as EV Âm.

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Ho Minh

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When Optimization Fails: Structural Drift Φ as a Necessary Condition for Survival

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Abstract

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