Simple term for a group of things that were isolated from other things to mitigate bad cross-effects

Suppose you have a bunch of things; every thing has a certain performance; and one thing's bad performance negatively impacts the other things' performances. For example, links in a chain, or school kids in a classroom, or solar panels on a roof.

Now suppose you can divide all the things up into groups, so as to minimize the negative effects that lower-performing things have on other members of their group. For example, you may place rowdy children in a separate class, or you may string shaded solar panels separate from unshaded solar panels.

What would you call such a group?

Solution 1:

I answer on the basis of your text rather than your title. I assume that “such a group” refers to any of the groups defined in your second paragraph and not to the single group implied by your title.

The groups into which you split the main group may be described as optimised (optimized, US spelling) groups.

Cambridge

optimised:

to make something as good as possible

Cambridge

possible:

that can be done or achieved, or that can exist

The important point here is as good as possible. The outcome is as good as the best that can be achieved given the circumstances. It is not the best that could be achieved were all circumstances in favour.

In your example, the presence of poor performers means that all circumstances are not in favour and that the best imaginable (the outcome if all circumstances were favourable - there being no poor performers) cannot be achieved.