The 20/80 Rule as a Dimensional Effect in Resource Distribution

Gennady Aleksandrovich Grachev

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The 20/80 Rule as a Dimensional Effect in Resource Distribution

G. A. Grachev

2026-03-19

https://doi.org/10.24108/preprints-3114724

This paper proposes a dimensional approach to the interpretation of empirical regularities in resource concentration within systems. The central characteristic is the concentration function, which specifies the share of the resource belonging to the upper proportion of elements ranked in descending order of contribution. For the analytical study, a simple geometric model is employed — a conical sand heap — in which, for the same carrier structure, different observable quantities may be considered: volume (mass), surface area, equivalent linear scale, and potential energy. It is shown that the corresponding concentration functions do not coincide and are determined not only by the ordering of the elements but also by the dimensionality of the effect under consideration. On this basis, the 20/80 rule is interpreted not as a universal numerical constant but as a special case within a broader class of concentration relations arising from a particular mapping of the resource onto the linear scale of its carrier. In addition, the paper discusses the relationship between symmetric parametric models and the Gini coefficient, as well as the possibility of using such models for the normative description of income and wealth distributions.

Ссылка для цитирования:

Grachev G. A. 2026. The 20/80 Rule as a Dimensional Effect in Resource Distribution. PREPRINTS.RU. https://doi.org/10.24108/preprints-3114724

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