A General Systems Stability Function Integrating Variance, Information Fidelity, Delay and Coupling
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Stability in complex systems emerges from measurable interactions among fluctuations, information flow, and coupling structure. This work introduces a general systems stability function that integrates variance dynamics, information fidelity, feedback delay, and coupling strength into a unified statistical mechanical and systems theoretic formulation. The model characterises how monotonic and nonlinear interactions among these quantities generate predictable transitions between stable and unstable regimes. Reduced information fidelity increases susceptibility to perturbation, variance escalation signals proximity to critical transitions, and delay–coupling interactions produce coherence‐driven instability. The framework yields falsifiable predictions and identifies universal early warning signatures applicable across biological, institutional, and societal systems. By grounding stability in measurable physical quantities, the formulation advances general systems theory and provides a cross‐scale structure for analysing resilience in complex, multilevel systems.
DOI: 10.1002/sres.70144
Author: Richard M. Fleming
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7204167008