Drucker stability (also called the Drucker stability postulates) refers to a set of mathematical criteria that restrict the possible nonlinear stress - strain relations that can be satisfied by a solid material. The postulates are named after Daniel C. Drucker. A material that does not satisfy these criteria is often found to be unstable in the sense that application of a load to a material point can lead to arbitrary deformations at that material point unless an additional length or time scale is specified in the constitutive relations.