All About Numbers
Comparing Quantities – Greater Than, Less Than, or Equal
Building on “more and less,” comparing quantities introduces the precise mathematical symbols used to record a comparison: > (greater than), < (less than), and = (equal to). Instead of just saying which group has more, these symbols let you write the comparison down exactly.
The “>” and “<” symbols are a surprisingly late addition to mathematical notation – they were introduced by the English mathematician and astronomer Thomas Harriot, and appeared in his book Artis Analyticae Praxis, published in 1631, ten years after his death. Before Harriot, mathematicians had to write comparisons out in full words, which made equations far more cumbersome to read.
Comparing Two Groups
To compare two quantities, count each group, then decide whether the first number is greater than, less than, or equal to the second.
8 and 8 represent the same amount, so the symbol is = (equal to).
9 is greater than 5, so Group B has more.
Real-Life Application
- Shopping: comparing prices to see which is cheaper.
- Sports scores: deciding which team is winning.
- Fair sharing: checking that two piles are exactly equal.
Key Takeaways
- > means greater than, < means less than, and = means equal to.
- These symbols were introduced by Thomas Harriot, published in 1631.
- Comparing quantities precisely is the next step after simply judging “more” or “less.”