Unauthorized Optimization Across Domains

Abstract

Optimization is a powerful and ubiquitous process across domains. When properly authorized, it enables adaptation, efficiency, and resilience. When unauthorized, it produces failure modes that appear disparate on the surface yet share a common structural form. This paper presents a cross-domain analogy showing that many pathologies in artificial intelligence, biology, institutions, and economics arise from the same underlying pattern: locally coherent optimization proceeding without higher-level admissibility. Rather than proposing mechanisms or interventions, this work identifies a recurring structural signature of unauthorized optimization. By abstracting away domain-specific details, the paper demonstrates that these failures are not accidents of implementation but consequences of missing upstream permission. The result is a unifying lens that complements authorization-first frameworks while remaining non-operational and domain-agnostic. This paper introduces no corrective mechanisms, governance proposals, or intervention strategies; it is purely diagnostic and explanatory.