Conjecture on nonnegative expected higher-order derivatives

Let $S$ be a set of edges and let $\partial_S f$ denote the corresponding environment derivative.

Nonnegative-expectation conjecture. For most sets $S$, the expected value of the higher-order derivative is non-negative:

$$\mathbb E[\partial_S f]\geq 0.$$

The conjecture is motivated by exceptional parasite configurations that can produce negative derivatives. The phrase “most sets” and the conditions that make a set reasonable are not formalized in the supplied text.