Competitive Exclusion Principle (Gause's Law)
Formal Statement
"Two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist indefinitely - one will outcompete the other"
Mathematical Form
In Lotka-Volterra competition equations, stable coexistence requires that each species limits its own growth more than it limits the other Description
When two species occupy the same ecological niche - requiring the same resources in the same way - one will inevitably drive the other to extinction. Coexistence requires niche differentiation.
Biological Implication
This principle explains why ecosystems develop complex niche structures. Similar species must differentiate - in what they eat, where they feed, when they're active - or one will be eliminated. It's the fundamental law driving specialization and biodiversity.
Business Implication
Companies targeting identical customer needs with identical value propositions cannot both thrive indefinitely - one will win or both will be forced to differentiate. This is why 'moats' matter: they represent genuine niche differentiation that prevents direct competition. Markets with multiple winners always have some form of differentiation, even if not immediately obvious.