I'm looking for the word (I used to know it, but forgot it) that
describes a the "state" of something that is "broken," "unusable,"
"bastardized," "perverted," "unusable," "corrupted," etc.

For example, this word MIGHT have a mathematical context for something
that is unsolvable.  Similar to "indeterminant" or "indeterminate." 
It's unsolvable because there aren't enough variables.  Or in matrix
theory, something's just "wrong" with the matrix.

This word can also have a computer programming context in terms of
falling into a never-ending-loop; an "unusuable" or "crippled" state.

Other synonyms could be "tainted," or "warped."

Thank you!

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Request for Question Clarification by justaskscott-ga on 27 Jul 2005 10:51 PDT

A technique I find helpful in such situations is to go through each
letter the alphabet, and ponder whether the forgotten term begins with
that letter.

Another technique is to scour a thesaurus for synonyms of each word. 
An online possibility is:

Thesaurus.com
http://thesaurus.reference.com/

Do either of these techniques help?

defective?

Detritus is from latin..."to wear away"...with one of its definitions
being "any disintegrated matter, debris."