The Laws of Persistence Science

Abstract

Persistence Science seeks to explain why systems survive, adapt, decline, or collapse across physical, biological, organizational, economic, technological, and civilizational domains. This paper introduces the foundational framework of Persistence Science, grounded in the Persistence Capacity Axiom, P = C(I) × E, where persistence capacity arises from the interaction of information-directed control and energy throughput. From this basis, the Persistence Index, Ω = P/D, is defined as a universal measure of systemic viability, with persistence occurring when Ω > 1. The paper establishes the Persistence Principle as a domain-independent theorem of survival and develops five axiomatic Laws of Persistence governing universal decay, directed energy, informational saturation, asymmetric degradation, and generative feedback. Dynamic extensions introduce persistence velocity (ω) and acceleration (α) as leading indicators of systemic growth, fragility, and collapse. To support empirical application, the framework incorporates operational information measurement through Effective Information Units (EIU) and outlines pathways for cross-domain calibration. The resulting framework provides a unified systems-science foundation for analyzing survival, resilience, adaptation, and collapse in complex adaptive systems.