Optimality conjecture for the Mayer-Erdős phenomenon on similarly ordered Farey fractions

Let a1b1,a2b2,\frac{a_1}{b_1},\frac{a_2}{b_2},\ldots be the Farey sequence of order nn, and let f(n)f(n) denote the least positive integer rr such that some pair of fractions rr positions apart is not similarly ordered. For d=1,2,2,4d=1,2,2,4 according as n0,1,2,3(mod4)n\equiv 0,1,2,3\pmod{4}, the upper bound is expected to be sharp. Optimality conjecture. For all n4n\geq 4,

f(n)>n4.f(n)>\frac{n}{4}.

More precisely, for all n92n\geq 92,

f(n)=n4+d.f(n)=\left\lfloor\frac{n}{4}\right\rfloor+d.

Here dd is defined by the residue class of nn modulo 44 as above. The claim concerns the eventual optimality of the proven upper bound for the first non-similarly ordered pair of Farey fractions; the stated threshold and equality are supported by computer calculations in the source, but no proof or resolution is supplied.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Wouter van Doorn, “Improved bounds for the Mayer-Erdős phenomenon on similarly ordered Farey fractions”, arXiv:2509.00121 (2025).

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