Inequality Notation

Inequality Notation problems use custom symbols to represent inequality relationships (<, >, ≤, ≥, ≠, ≈). You must evaluate whether the statement is true or false after substituting the actual inequality symbols.

10Worksheets
200+Practice Questions
IntermediateDifficulty
1-2 hoursHours to Master

Introduction to Inequality Notation

Inequality Notation problems use custom symbols to represent inequality relationships (<, >, ≤, ≥, ≠, ≈). You must evaluate whether the statement is true or false after substituting the actual inequality symbols.

Prerequisites

Basic inequalities (<, >, ≤, ≥, ≠) Approximation concepts (≈) Number comparison Logical evaluation of inequalities
Why This Matters: Inequality Notation problems appear in 1-2 questions in SSC CGL and Banking PO exams. They test understanding of inequality relationships.

How to Solve Inequality Notation Problems

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Step 1: Identify the mapping of each custom symbol to its inequality

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Step 2: Substitute the actual inequality symbol

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Step 3: Evaluate whether the inequality statement is true or false

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Step 4: For ≈ (approximately equal), check if numbers are close (within reasonable margin)

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Step 5: Write the answer as True or False

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Step 6: Double-check your comparison

Pro Strategy: Substitute the inequality symbol first, then evaluate the truth of the statement. Remember that ≤ means 'less than or equal to' - true if either condition holds.

Example Problem

Example: If ◀ means 'less than' and ▶ means 'greater than', evaluate: 5 ◀ 8 Solution: Step 1: ◀ means < Step 2: Statement becomes: 5 < 8 Step 3: 5 is less than 8, so this is True Answer: True

Pro Tips & Tricks

  • < : less than (strict)
  • > : greater than (strict)
  • ≤ : less than or equal to
  • ≥ : greater than or equal to
  • ≠ : not equal to
  • ≈ : approximately equal (within reasonable tolerance)

Shortcut Methods to Solve Faster

If numbers are equal, ≤ and ≥ are true, but < and > are false
≠ is true unless numbers are exactly equal
≈ is context-dependent - use common sense
For two numbers, exactly one of <, =, > is true

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing < with >
Forgetting that ≤ includes equality
Misjudging ≈ (approximate equality)
Not considering negative numbers correctly
Assuming ≈ means exact equality

Exam Importance

Inequality Notation is an important topic for various competitive exams. Here's how frequently it appears:

SSC CGL
1-2 questions
BANKING PO
1-2 questions
RAILWAYS RRB
1-2 questions
CAT
0-1 questions
INSURANCE
1-2 questions

Ready to Master Inequality Notation?

Start with Worksheet 1 and work your way up to expert level! Each worksheet includes:

20 practice questions
Detailed solutions
Step-by-step explanations
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