Measuring Complexity at the Requirements Stage: Spectral Metrics as Development Effort Predictors

ArXi:2602.07182v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Complexity in engineered systems presents one of the most persistent challenges in modern development since it is driving cost overruns, schedule delays, and outright project failures. Yet while architectural complexity has been studied, the structural complexity embedded within requirements specifications remains poorly understood and inadequately quantified. This gap is consequential: requirements fundamentally drive system design, and complexity.