Inequalities
Inequalities are mathematical sentences comparing two quantities that are not equal (or possibly not equal). There are five inequality symbols:
is not equal to | |
is less than | |
is greater than | |
is less than or equal to | |
is greater than or equal to |
Graphing Inequalities in One Variable
The solutions of inequalities can be graphed on the number line as rays . If the inequality is "strict" ( or ), we use an open dot to indicate that the endpoint of the ray is not part of the solution. For the other types of inequalities ( and ), we use a closed dot to indicate that the endpoint is part of the solution.
Example:
See also compound inequalities and solving linear inequalities .