The Mayer-Erdős phenomenon (Q2500592)

Two rational numbers \(r,r'\) are said to be similarly ordered if \(r=a/q\), \(r'=a'/q'\), \(\gcd(a,q)= \gcd(a',q')=1\), and \((a-a')(q-q')\geq 0\). The paper under review investigates the problem of similar ordering of chains of consecutive Farey fractions. If \(Q\) is a positive integer, let \(\mathcal{F}_Q\) be the Farey sequence of order \(Q\), that is, the set of rational numbers \(a/q\) with \(0<a/q\leq 1\), \(1\leq q\leq Q\) and \(\gcd(a,q)=1\). Moreover, arrange the elements of \(\mathcal{F}_Q\) in increasing order, \(a_1/q_1<a_2/q_2<\dots<a_{N(Q)}/q_{N(Q)}\). Extending a result of \textit{A. E. Mayer} [Q. J. Math., Oxf. Ser. 13, 185--192 (1942; Zbl 0061.06703)], \textit{P. Erdős} [Q. J. Math., Oxf. Ser. 14, 82--85 (1943; Zbl 0061.12804)] proved that there exists a constant \(C>0\) such that for any positive integer \(Q\) and any \(1\leq j< j'\leq N(Q)\) for which \(C(j'-j)<Q\), the fractions \(a_j/q_j\) and \(a_{j'}/q_{j'}\) are similarly ordered. The above result by Erdös can be restated in the following form. Let \(L(X,Y)\) be the linear form defined by \(L(X,Y)=X-Y\). Then there exists an absolute constant \(C>0\) such that for any positive integer \(Q\) and any \(1\leq j,j'\leq N(Q)\) satisfying the inequality \(C|j'-j|<Q\), one has \(L(a_j,a_{j'})L(q_j,q_{j'})\geq 0\). In the paper under review, this result is extended to more general linear forms \(L(X,Y)\). The author shows that there exists an absolute constant \(C>0\) such that for any positive integers \(D,Q\), any integer numbers \(A\), \(B\) with \(|A|,|B|\leq D\), and any \(1\leq j,j'\leq N(Q)\) satisfying the inequality \(CD^2|j'-j|\leq Q\), we have \((Aa_j+Ba_{j'})(Aq_j+Bq_{j'})\geq 0\). The proof is divided into several cases which are treated by different elementary techniques. For the hardest case, the author employs the notion of the index of a Farey fraction, introduced by \textit{R. R. Hall} and \textit{P. Shiu} [Mich. Math. J. 51, No. 1, 209--223 (2003; Zbl 1038.11062)]. Here the key ingredient is an exact formula for the index.