diff --git a/transitive.c b/transitive.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09f6961
--- /dev/null
+++ b/transitive.c
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+
+int transitive_lt(int num, int arg1, ...) {
+
+   va_list ap;
+   int last,true=0;
+   int i,j,k;
+
+   printf("\nstarting transitive_lt(int num, int arg1, ...) num==%d\n",num);
+   if ( num <= 1 )
+	   return 0; // FALSE only one argument for the transitive function
+
+
+   last = arg1;
+   va_start(ap, arg1);
+   num--;
+   for (i = 0; i < num; i++) {
+	j = va_arg(ap,int);
+	printf(" comparing last %d < next %d\n",last,j);
+	if ( last < j ) true++;
+	last = j;	
+   }
+
+   va_end(ap);
+
+   printf("exiting transitive_lt num==%d true==%d\n",num, true);
+   return num == true;
+}
+
+
+int
+transitive_three (int a, int b, int c)
+{
+	// this evaluates a < b as  == 1 
+	// then compares c to 1 which passes
+	// which is unintended!
+	//
+	//if ( a < b < c ) {
+	//
+	if ( a < b && b < c ) {
+		return 1; // true
+	}
+	else {
+		return 0;
+	}
+}
+
+
+int main () {
+
+	printf (" transitive_three (1,2,3) = %d\n",  transitive_three (1,2,3));
+	printf (" transitive_three (1,4,3) = %d\n",  transitive_three (1,4,3));
+	printf (" transitive_three (1,2,0) = %d\n",  transitive_three (1,2,0));
+	printf (" transitive_three (-1,2,3) = %d\n",  transitive_three (-1,2,3));
+
+
+	printf (" transitive_lt(3, -1,2,3) = %d\n",  transitive_lt(3, -1,2,3));
+	printf (" transitive_lt(4, -1,2,3,4) = %d\n",  transitive_lt(4, -1,2,3,4));
+	printf (" transitive_lt(5, -1,2,3,4,10) = %d\n",  transitive_lt(5, -1,2,3,4,10));
+	printf (" transitive_lt(5, -1,33,3,4,10) = %d\n",  transitive_lt(5, -1,2,3,4,10));
+	printf (" transitive_lt(6, -1,33,99,3,4,10) = %d\n",  transitive_lt(6, -1,33,99,3,4,10));
+
+
+	return 0;
+}
+