No Trend, No Divergence: The Prerequisite for Identifying Exhaustion

The core principle of this lesson is "No trend, no divergence." Chan Theory strictly classifies all market movements into three states: uptrend, downtrend, and consolidation, determined by comparing successive highs and lows — both rising simultaneously signals an uptrend, both falling signals a downtrend, and a mismatch between them indicates consolidation. Divergence analysis is only meaningful after a clear trend (uptrend or downtrend) has been confirmed; within consolidation, only consolidation-type divergence exists, not trend-based divergence. All analysis must be grounded in a specific chart timeframe, since the same price action can appear as entirely different states across different levels. The validity of highs and lows must be filtered through a moving average system — only those occurring around moving average interactions (convergence, contact, or entanglement of short-term and long-term MAs) carry analytical significance at that level. Traders should choose chart timeframes that match their capital size, temperament, and trading style, and build a coherent trading system accordingly.