RMA

RMA plots Wilder's recursive smoother in its cleanest form: each bar blends 1/N of the newest price into (N-1)/N of yesterday's value, seeded with the mean of its first N inputs. The definitive build of the RMA treats its equivalences as first-class features — the dashboard reports the smoothing factor 1/N and the (2N-1)-bar EMA the line responds like, and overlays can add a same-length EMA and SMA plus the exact-alpha twin. Slope trend coloring and a price gradient fill carry the two classic bias reads.

How to Trade the RMA?

• Slope: the line colors bullish while rising and bearish while falling — the calm, rarely-flipping trend read, with alerts on each slope turn.
• Price side: the gradient fill shades bullish while price holds above the line and bearish below it, with alerts on both crossings.
• Crossover pair: enable the second RMA for a fast-against-slow pair built for patience; pair crossings carry their own alerts.

RMA Settings

• Source (default close): series the average smooths.
• RMA Length (default 14): N in the recursion; alpha is 1/N, smaller than an EMA's 2/(N+1) at the same stated length.
• Second RMA (default disabled) with Second RMA Length (default 50): the slower half of the crossover pair.
• EMA — Same Length, SMA — Same Length and Equivalent EMA (2N - 1) (each default disabled): comparison overlays.
• Show Dashboard (default enabled) with Location (default Top Right) and Size (default Small).
• Slope Trend Coloring (default enabled), Price / RMA Gradient Fill (default enabled), Price Crossing Markers (default disabled), Line Width (default 2); remaining inputs set colors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a 14-period RMA slower than a 14-period EMA?

The smoothing factors differ: RMA weighs the newest bar by 1/N against an EMA's 2/(N+1). Matching alphas shows the default 14 responding like an EMA of length 27 — switch on the Equivalent EMA (2N - 1) overlay and the two lines should nearly coincide.

Where does the RMA fit among the classic averages?

It is the recursion hiding inside RSI, ATR and the ADX system, which is why most toolkits ship it built in. Against the options a general Moving Average build exposes, it is the patient one — never fully forgetting a bar, with memory well beyond the stated period.

Does the seed matter?

For early history, yes. The recursion forgets slowly, so the starting value shapes the line well into a chart and differently-seeded tools disagree along its left edge. This build starts from the arithmetic mean of the first N readings — Wilder's own choice.