michellie

В общем, самый жизнеспособный способ оказался через таблицу с позициями , транзакции и крон.

include 'bdconnect.php';
mysqli_begin_transaction($link, MYSQLI_TRANS_START_READ_WRITE);
mysqli_query($link,"TRUNCATE TABLE top_pos;");
mysqli_query($link,"SET @position_number := 0;");
mysqli_query($link,"SET @rating_id := '';");
mysqli_query($link,"INSERT INTO
  top_pos (element_id, `position`, rating_id)
SELECT
  id_elem,
  IF(@rating_id = e.id_top, @position_number := @position_number + 1, @position_number := 1) AS position_number,
  @rating_id := id_top AS rating_id
FROM
  top_elements AS e
ORDER BY
  e.id_top,
  e.rating DESC,
  e.id_elem;");
mysqli_query($link,"SET @position_number := 0;");
mysqli_query($link,"SET @rating_id := '';");
mysqli_query($link,"UPDATE
  top_elements AS e
  INNER JOIN
  (SELECT
    e.id_elem,
    IF(@rating_id = e.id_top, @position_number := @position_number + 1, @position_number := 1) AS position_number,
    @rating_id := id_top AS rating_id
  FROM
    top_elements AS e
  ORDER BY
    e.id_top,
    e.rating DESC,
    e.id_elem) AS t ON t.id_elem = e.id_elem
SET
  e.position = t.position_number;");
mysqli_commit($link);
mysqli_close($link);

если кто то столкнется с этой проблемой, все решается очень просто:

if ($row = mysql_fetch_assoc($otvet)) {
while {}
}
else{}