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Inequalities

Inequalities are mathematical sentences comparing two quantities that are not equal (or possibly not equal). There are five inequality symbols:

x 3 x is not equal to 3
x < 3 x is less than 3
x > 3 x is greater than 3
x 3 x is less than or equal to 3
x 3 x is greater than or equal to 3

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 .