Fit, Form, and Function: A Minimal Structural Condition for Admissible Continuation

This paper introduces a minimal structural condition for system continuation based on three coupled components: fit, form, and function. A system persists if and only if its compatibility with constraint, structural configuration, and behaviour over time are jointly admissible. Failure in any one component prevents continuation. The formulation provides a domain-neutral condition for persistence applicable across physical, biological, computational, and cognitive systems. Positioned within the Paton System, this work links Tier 3 admissibility, Tier 5 continuation, and Tier 6 structural consistency into a unified condition for persistence.