Theory 46/Feedback loops stabilise
Delay Destabilises
The claim
A negative feedback loop destabilises when its delay exceeds a fraction of the oscillation period, turning damping into amplification.
01Mechanism
Corrections arrive after the state has moved, so they push in the wrong direction.
02Prediction
Oscillation should appear above a delay threshold.
03Refutation
Stability independent of delay would remove the mechanism.