Hello ladies and gentlemen! My question today is concerning a “matrix
scheme”. A matrix scheme is much like a pyramid scheme except there
are no pyramids involved and it’s based on a straight line. When a
“matrix” website offers a product such as a computer that is worth
$2,000, it gives you for example a “matrix length” of 21 and a price
of $100. This means that you pay $100 and once 20 people join after
you, you get the computer. The website makes $100 profit and the
second person in the list becomes the one who is “cycling”. When you
are cycling, it means that once the number of people equal to the
matrix length join after you, you get the item. Below is an easier to
understand explanation:
This is a 5 person matrix for a product worth $20 with a price of $5…
1.	Person #1 pays: Becomes the one currently cycling. Pot becomes $5.
2.	Person #2 pays: Pool becomes $10. 
3.	Person #3 pays: Pool becomes $15. 
4.	Person #4 pays: Pool becomes $20. 
5.	Person #5 pays: Person #1 recieves free item (worth $20), website
takes $5 profit and Person #2 moves to currently cycling position.
6.	Person #6 pays: Pool becomes $5. 
7.	Person #7 pays: Pool becomes $10. 
8.	Person #8 pays: Pool becomes $15. 
9.	Person #9 pays: Pool becomes $20. 
10.	Person #10 pays: Person #2 recieves free item (worth $20), website
takes $5 profit and Person #3 moves to currently cycling position.
For more information about how the matrix scheme works, visit
http://www.matrix-news.net/. What I am looking for is an equation to
calculate how long how long it will take a person on a matrix to
cycle. The user must enter several variables such as matrix length,
price, people in front of him/her and in back. The only thing that I
know is that it would be exponential because the more people that join
– the longer the list gets and less people are attracted to join. I am
going to incorporate this equation in a PHP script on my website so
people can calculate how long it will take them to cycle.

Matrix schemes are just as illegal as pyramid schemes, and they are
punishable by law. Are you saying that you're running a website that
helps to promote other websites which run illegal schemes to defraud
consumers??? If so, then you can probably be prosecuted as an
accessory to fraud.

It is illegal if you buy into a matrix, but the way websites do it
today is by selling another product such as an ebook with a "free"
entry into the matrix.