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1985issue C021-5

Constructing median lines from graded pivots

A median line is drawn from the first of three graded pivots through the exact midpoint of the far swing. The finished line is treated as a hypothesized reversal location, not as a complete trading system.

  • Select three pivots of similar size and duration, mark the b-c midpoint of the far swing, and draw the median line from the first pivot through that point.
  • Treat a line that pairs long-horizon highs and lows as more significant than one built from nearby, short-horizon swings.
  • Apply the same far-swing bisection in rising, falling, and sideways markets so equal referenced action sits above and below the finished line.
  • Treat contact with the line as a hypothesized reversal location, and keep the method as analysis that still requires market experience.
Entries in this reading3 entries
Action-reaction lines3 readingsCurrent trackMedian line19 readingsPivot point45 readings

Select three pivots of like size

A median line is constructed by selecting three pivots, marking the exact midpoint of the swing between the second and third, and drawing a line from the first pivot through that midpoint. A pivot point is a swing high or low used as a construction anchor. Only pivots of similar size and duration are paired on the same line.

Pivot points represent swings of unequal magnitude, and a line that pairs long-horizon highs and lows is treated as more significant than one built from nearby, short-horizon swings. Pivot magnitude is the scale of a swing, used to keep large-degree and small-degree constructions separate.

Mark the b-c midpoint first

The b-c midpoint is the exact center of the swing between the second and third selected pivots. It is marked before the line is drawn from the first pivot. The midpoint is found mechanically with a straight-edge on the extremes of the second and third pivots.

The same three-pivot bisection is applied in rising, falling, and sideways markets, with the far swing halved in each case. The geometric aim of the construction is to place equal referenced market action above and below the finished line.

Read the finished path as a hypothesis

A median line is a line drawn from one selected pivot through the exact midpoint of the swing that joins the other two pivots. Action-reaction lines are geometric lines that split a referenced swing so equal market action sits above and below the constructed path.

Once price arrives at the constructed line, the method treats that contact as the hypothesized reversal location for a long or short decision. Larger-degree three-pivot constructions are used to locate larger turning points, and smaller-degree constructions are used for lesser reversals.

The technique is presented as an analysis method that still requires market experience, not as a complete trading system.

November 1984 soybeans: graded pivots and median-line reversals

Daily November 1984 Chicago soybeans, read off the published bar chart (10 cents per grid line). After the June collapse to about 640, price ran to the 800 area at C; the later median line through the B–C midpoint is the hypothesized reversal, and the tape did turn near D around 720 before the contract bid back toward 770.
Daily November 1984 Chicago soybeans, read off the published bar chart (10 cents per grid line). After the June collapse to about 640, price ran to the 800 area at C; the later median line through the B–C midpoint is the hypothesized reversal, and the tape did turn near D around 720 before the contract bid back toward 770.November 1984 soybeans (CBOT) · daily · 1984-03-01T00:00:00.000Z to 1984-11-15T00:00:00.000Z

Closes were read from the raster to the nearest 10 cents — the printed grid step. Bar wicks thinner than one grid line are not resolved, so this is the path of the swing, not a tick-for-tick reprint. Andrews’ stated 80 percent reach rule is a claim in the text, not a plotted series.

Educational research material, not investment advice. Historical source context does not establish present-day performance.
1 of 19 in the Median line track
19861-9 pp.Next on Median lineConstructing median and action-reaction lines from pivotsNumber the selected swing pivots, lock a median line, then add an equal-offset action-reaction pair before any later idea is tested.
All readings on this track · 19 readings
  1. 1985Constructing median lines from graded pivots
  2. 1986Constructing median and action-reaction lines from pivots
  3. 1989Median line construction from three market turns
  4. 1990A failed median-line test marks the start of wave three
  5. 1995Constructing three-pivot median-line channels
  6. 1996Median-line pitchfork construction for trend and reversal tests
  7. 2000Nested median-line channels as falsifiable swing tests
  8. 2002Median-line versus speed-resistance on one trend
  9. 2003Independent witnesses: a median-line miss, a breadth average, and volume bands
  10. 2012Constructing oblique trendlines and median-line channels
  11. 2013Gold futures wave four, competing complexes, and written ratio tests
  12. 2013The weekly 1-2-3 map as a permission layer
  13. 2014Measured-move and daily pivot price-projection construction
  14. 2014Constructing median-line channels from a pivot
  15. 2016Median-line far parallel as a precommitted exit
  16. 2017How high is high: Elliott wave landmarks
  17. 2017A three-layer veto for a suspected third-wave high
  18. 2020Basic chart rules for Nasdaq trend reversals
  19. 2020Stacking wave counts, retracements, and median lines
By fieldTrend and channels181 readingsBy year198514 readings
All 19 readings tagged Median line
Also on Median line5 readings
1986Constructing median and action-reaction lines from pivotsAction-reaction lines1988Constructing action-reaction lines from two pivotsAction-reaction lines2014Measured-move and daily pivot price-projection construction1989Median line construction from three market turns1990A failed median-line test marks the start of wave three