ANSWER:

In Mastering Elliott Wave (MEW) I cover general TIME relationships as they apply to impulsions and corrections, but a more sophisticated perspective has emerged since I wrote MEW nearly 20 years ago. Below is a description of how TIME behaves in Flats, Zigzags, Triangles, Diametrics, Symmetricals and Impulsions.

FLATS and ZIGZAGS (3 segment patterns)

1. The time differences between waves in Flats and Zigzags is greater than in any other correction.

2. If waves-a and b are about equal in time, wave-c will usually equal a+b in time.

3. If wave-b is much larger than wave-a in time, wave-c will equal the time of (a+b)/2.

4. Wave-b can NEVER take less time than wave-a in a Flat or Zigzag. 

5. Based on the above, this means wave-c always takes more time than wave-a in Flats and Zigzags.

6. Over all other corrections, Zigzags allow for the greatest price differences between waves. 

TRIANGLES (5 segment patterns)

1. Time differences between waves in a Triangle continue to be measurable, but are less obvious than what is seen in Flats and Zigzags.

2. If waves-a and b are about equal in time, wave-c will equal a+b in time.

3. If wave-b is much larger than wave-a in time, wave-c will equal the time of (a+b)/2.

4. Wave-b is allowed to take less time than wave-a IF it is smaller than wave-a in price. If it does, it almost always means the Triangle will possess what I call NEoWave Reverse Alternation (read about this in the Question of the Week section by doing a search for “Reverse Alternation”). 

5. Based on the above, this means wave-c always takes more time than wave-a in Flats and Zigzags.

DIAMETRICS (7 segment patterns)

1. These patterns began to appear in the early 90’s as the market’s way to adjust to the increasing popularity of wave theory (too many people were looking for the same things, so the market created new ways of behaving). 

2. They were the first patterns I witnessed where most wave segments took about the same amount of time, with one or two of the waves consuming a little more (or little less) time than the others. 

3. While most waves consume a similar amount of time, they do NOT consume a similar amount of price. A Diametric will possess an obvious expansionary or contractionary bias during the first four waves of the pattern; that bias will reverse during the second half of the formation. 

SYMMETRICALS (9 segment patterns)

1. This pattern emerged around 2001 as the S&P went through its transition from a bull to bear market for the first time in more than a decade. 

2. Their unique characteristic is that most of their waves consume about the same amount of time and price. Two of the waves may consume a little more (or a little less) time than the others and two of the waves (possibly the same two) will consume a little more (or a little less) price than the others. 

3. Of all patterns, Symmetricals all for the least price and time differences between waves. 

What we can derive from the above list, which is a NEoWave discovery, is that 3-segment corrections allow for the greatest time differences. As you move through 5, 7 and 9 segment formations, the allowed price and time differences continue to diminish with Symmetricals allowing for the least price and time differences between waves.