Greater Than Equal To Symbol
The greater than equal to sign is used side by side with the greater than sign. it is one of the mathematical notations that falls under the inequality signs category and if one spends time to understand it, it is safe to say that its use is prevalent in our day-to-day life.
An example could be the minimum age to do a certain task or the minimum height to go on a ride. Let's say the minimum age set to use the gym is 15 years. This essentially means that only those people can use the gym facility that are either more than 15 years of age or who are currently 15 years of age that means Age to use the gym ≥ 15.
The mathematical meaning of greater than equal to sign
The greater than equal to actually means greater than or equal to. It suggests that the number or variable on the left can either be greater than the number on the right or can also be equal to the number or variable on the right. 2a ≥ 2b This means that 2a can either be greater than or it can be equal to 2b. 2a can be greater than 2b if the value of ‘a' is greater than the value of b and 2a and 2b can be equal only in one condition which is that the value of ‘a' and b is equal to each other.
How to use the greater than equal to sign?
Now that we have established what is the greater than equal to sign, our next concern would be how to and in what situations can this symbol be used. The greater than equal to sign can be used when we are trying to set a minimum value for anything.
For example, if a minimum number of 15 participants are needed from each class to participate in a school competition then that means that either there can be 15 participants or any number of participants greater than 15 in the competition. If there are 14 participants i.e. not 15 then none of the students can participate. So we can represent this whole situation with the greater than equal to sign as
Participants from each class ≥ 15
Another situation where this sign can be used is when we are taking variables into account. Variables can be represented by symbols or letters and they have a value assigned to them. So the greater than equal sign can be used based on the fact that two terms can be equal to each other or one can be greater than the other depending on the value of the variable.
For example, 6c ≥ 3b
If we take b=2 and c=1 then 6c will be equal to 3b but if we take c=3 and b=2 then 6c will be greater than 3b.
Another situation in which the greater than equal to sign can be used is when we need to set a limit i.e. if we want to set two values as limits and take every value that falls between those two values into consideration.
For example, 2 ≥ y ≥ -2
This means that the value of y should be between 2 and -2 and it can also be 2 or -2 i.e. inclusive of both values.
How to type the greater than equal to symbol?
Type Greater Than Equal to Symbol on Windows
Open NumLock, then hold ALT key and typing 41437. Note this is invalid in microsoft word program. ALT + 41437 = ≥ If you want type in word program, you can press 2265 then type ALT+x button at the same time, the greater than equal to symbol will appear on the screen. 2265 + ALT + x = ≥ Or hold ALT key and press 8805 ALT + 8805 = ≥
Type Greater Than Equal to Symbol on Mac
To type, the greater than equal to sign on mac insert the greater than sign while holding down the option key. A table appears showing other keys on the mac from which you can select the greater than equal to a symbol or you can simply type ⌥ + >
Type Greater Than Equal to Symbol in Word/Excel
It isn't exactly very easy to type complex symbols on a word document, the greater than or equal to sign is one of them. Follow the below-mentioned steps to insert this sign:
- Click on the Insert tab from the taskbar on the top.
- Click on symbols and choose more symbols option.
- Select "mathematical operations" in the subset dialog box and look for the greater than equal to sign which looks something like this ≥.
- Click on insert and the symbol will appear wherever your cursor was the last present.
Codes of greater than equal to symbol
| Unicode | U+2265 | |
|---|---|---|
| Alt Code | Alt 8805 | |
| Hex Code | ≥ | |
| HTML Code | ≥ | |
| CSS Code | \2265 | |
| HTML Entity | ≥ |
Difference between ≥, > and =
Since the greater than equal to sign has two components i.e. the greater than symbol and the equality symbol so one point that is worth mentioning here is to not confuse the greater than equal to sign with the greater than a sign or with the equality sign.
Greater Than Equal To Sign (≥)
the greater than equal to sign means that the variable on the left side of the sign can either be greater than the one on the right side or can be equal to it.
For example: 2x ≥ 2y
this means that 2x can either be greater than 2y i.e. when the value of x is larger than the value of y or 2x can be equal to 2y when the values of x and y are equal to each other.
Greater Than Sign (>)
The greater than sign suggests that the number or variable on the left side of the symbol is essentially greater than the one on the right side.
For example: x > y means that the value of x is larger than the value of y
Equal to Sign (=)
The equality sign means that any number, integer, or variable on the right side of the sign is by all means equal to the left side of the sign.
For example: x = y means that the value of x is equal to the value of y