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If $\frac{a}{c} > \frac{b}{d}$, then the mediant of these two fractions is defined as $\frac{a+b}{c+d}$ and can be shown to lie striclty between the two fractions.

My question is can you prove the following property of mediants: if $|\frac{a}{c} - x| > |x - \frac{b}{d}|$ then $|b/d - mediant| < |mediant - x|$ for any $x$ that lies strictly between $\frac{a}{c}$ and $\frac{b}{d}$.

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[Edit: This question answers negatively the question "does $|a/c -x | > | x - b/d |$ imply $|b/d - mediant | > | mediant - x|$", which is not the one that was posed]

Your question appears to be "can the mediant never be more than $\frac 34$ of the way from $\frac ac$ to $\frac bd$ (in which case $x$ can be further from the mediant than from $\frac bd$ (necessarily on the opposite side) while still being closer to $\frac bd$ than to $\frac ac$. The answer is no (the mediant can be further off-center); take for instance $\frac ac=\frac11$. $\frac bd=\frac{99}{100}$, $\textit{mediant}=\frac{100}{101}$ and $x=\frac{149}{150}$. Then $|a/c-x|=\frac1{150}>|x-b/d|=\frac1{300}$ and $|b/d- mediant|=\frac1{10100} < | mediant - x|=\frac{49}{15150}$.

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I have no idea why you think the property you stated would be true, as the second inequality will always fail for $x$ close enough to the mediant on the side of $b$. Take $\frac ac=\frac21$, $\frac bd=\frac11$, $\textit{mediant}=\frac32$ and $x=\frac43$ which is closer to $1$ than to $2$ and closer to $\frac32$ than to $1$.

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$|\frac{a}{c}-x|>|x-\frac{b}{d}|$

$=>(\frac{a}{c}-x)^2>(x-\frac{b}{d})^2$

$=>(\frac{a}{c}-\frac{b}{d})(\frac{a}{c}+\frac{b}{d}-2x)>0$

$=>2x<\frac{a}{c}+\frac{b}{d}=>-x>\frac{-1}{2}(\frac{a}{c}+\frac{b}{d})$

$\frac{b}{d}-mediant=\frac{b}{d}-\frac{a+b}{c+d}=\frac{bc-ad}{d(c+d)}=\frac{-c}{c+d}(\frac{a}{c}-\frac{b}{d})$

$mediant-x>\frac{a+b}{c+d} - \frac{1}{2}(\frac{a}{c}+\frac{b}{d})$

$2(mediant-x)>\frac{a+b}{c+d} - \frac{a}{c} + \frac{a+b}{c+d} - \frac{b}{d}$

$(mediant-x)>\frac{(bc-ad)(d-c)}{2cd(c+d)}=\frac{c-d}{2(c+d)}(\frac{a}{c}-\frac{b}{d})$

$|\frac{-c}{c+d}(\frac{a}{c}-\frac{b}{d})|>$ will be greater than |$\frac{c-d}{2(c+d)}(\frac{a}{c}-\frac{b}{d})|$

iff $|\frac{-c}{c+d}|>|\frac{c-d}{2(c+d)}|$

if $|-2c|>|c-d|$ when c+d>0 or if $|-2c|<|c-d|$ when c+d<0

if $2>|1-\frac{d}{c}|$ when c+d>0 or if $2<|1-\frac{d}{c}|$ when c+d<0

In the 1st case, $-2<1-\frac{d}{c}<2=>-3<-\frac{d}{c}<1=>-1<\frac{d}{c}<3$

c+d>0 which is true and d<3c

In the 2nd case, $1-\frac{d}{c}>2$ or $1-\frac{d}{c}<-2$

or $\frac{d}{c}<-1$ or $\frac{d}{c}>3$

or c+d<0 which is true or d>3c

So the conditions are $(c+d>0\ and\ d<3c)$ or $(c+d<0\ and\ d>3c)$ to make the inequality valid.

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    Is this your scratchpad or an answer to the question? – Did Aug 20 '12 at 12:25
  • Could you please explain your point? Is it multiple edit? – lab bhattacharjee Aug 20 '12 at 12:30
  • No, rather the fact that this post is in no way written as an answer--you know, these things meant to bring a message to their readers with no superfluous effort from them. What you are doing, why, where all this is going, what is proven at the end... we should not have to decipher a full page of computations before, maybe, reaching the answers to these questions. – Did Aug 20 '12 at 13:04
  • I just wanted to show (keeping sufficient clarity) where we were heading towards to meet the given condition. Shall I remove the calculation part, or you may what ever you feel redundant? – lab bhattacharjee Aug 20 '12 at 13:22