What is the meaning of the symbol $lesssim$?
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I have encountered a symbol I do not understand the meaning of. I've searched tables online but to no avail.
The picture in this link (not enough points to embed yet) shows the symbol twice; 'masses $gtrsim$ $10^{16}$ g' and 'energies $gtrsim$ $10^{32}$ ergs'. What is the meaning of this symbol?
definition relations
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.3k43378
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
|
show 1 more comment
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I have encountered a symbol I do not understand the meaning of. I've searched tables online but to no avail.
The picture in this link (not enough points to embed yet) shows the symbol twice; 'masses $gtrsim$ $10^{16}$ g' and 'energies $gtrsim$ $10^{32}$ ergs'. What is the meaning of this symbol?
definition relations
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.3k43378
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
I'm pretty sure that this means less than or similar to, like less than or equal to but more vague.
– Kyky
Nov 19 at 3:56
I assume it's a mix of<and≈. Is there a way to make sure this is the actual use case, or are there other definitions that can apply as well?
– allthemikeysaretaken
Nov 19 at 3:59
If the author just throws it there, without having defined it at some prior point, then It is simply bad notation. From what I can see in the link, it means "more than or at the order of magnitude of", but the more clear $approx$ (approximately) or $ge$ (more than or equal to) would perfectly do the job, so its just bad notation. I have seen it in the completely different context as $Alesssim B$ or $Apreceq B$ meaning "$A$ is less preferred than B", where it is a perfectly valid notation, but this has nothing to do with the text at hand.
– Jimmy R.
Nov 19 at 4:02
2
Being a physics paper my guess is it's a statement about orders of magnitude.
– dbx
Nov 19 at 4:03
Yup, physicist love to describe things by "order of magnitude".
– JonathanZ
Nov 19 at 5:09
|
show 1 more comment
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
I have encountered a symbol I do not understand the meaning of. I've searched tables online but to no avail.
The picture in this link (not enough points to embed yet) shows the symbol twice; 'masses $gtrsim$ $10^{16}$ g' and 'energies $gtrsim$ $10^{32}$ ergs'. What is the meaning of this symbol?
definition relations
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.3k43378
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
I have encountered a symbol I do not understand the meaning of. I've searched tables online but to no avail.
The picture in this link (not enough points to embed yet) shows the symbol twice; 'masses $gtrsim$ $10^{16}$ g' and 'energies $gtrsim$ $10^{32}$ ergs'. What is the meaning of this symbol?
definition relations
definition relations
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.3k43378
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.3k43378
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.3k43378
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.3k43378
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.3k43378
84.3k43378
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
113
I'm pretty sure that this means less than or similar to, like less than or equal to but more vague.
– Kyky
Nov 19 at 3:56
I assume it's a mix of<and≈. Is there a way to make sure this is the actual use case, or are there other definitions that can apply as well?
– allthemikeysaretaken
Nov 19 at 3:59
If the author just throws it there, without having defined it at some prior point, then It is simply bad notation. From what I can see in the link, it means "more than or at the order of magnitude of", but the more clear $approx$ (approximately) or $ge$ (more than or equal to) would perfectly do the job, so its just bad notation. I have seen it in the completely different context as $Alesssim B$ or $Apreceq B$ meaning "$A$ is less preferred than B", where it is a perfectly valid notation, but this has nothing to do with the text at hand.
– Jimmy R.
Nov 19 at 4:02
2
Being a physics paper my guess is it's a statement about orders of magnitude.
– dbx
Nov 19 at 4:03
Yup, physicist love to describe things by "order of magnitude".
– JonathanZ
Nov 19 at 5:09
|
show 1 more comment
I'm pretty sure that this means less than or similar to, like less than or equal to but more vague.
– Kyky
Nov 19 at 3:56
I assume it's a mix of<and≈. Is there a way to make sure this is the actual use case, or are there other definitions that can apply as well?
– allthemikeysaretaken
Nov 19 at 3:59
If the author just throws it there, without having defined it at some prior point, then It is simply bad notation. From what I can see in the link, it means "more than or at the order of magnitude of", but the more clear $approx$ (approximately) or $ge$ (more than or equal to) would perfectly do the job, so its just bad notation. I have seen it in the completely different context as $Alesssim B$ or $Apreceq B$ meaning "$A$ is less preferred than B", where it is a perfectly valid notation, but this has nothing to do with the text at hand.
– Jimmy R.
Nov 19 at 4:02
2
Being a physics paper my guess is it's a statement about orders of magnitude.
– dbx
Nov 19 at 4:03
Yup, physicist love to describe things by "order of magnitude".
– JonathanZ
Nov 19 at 5:09
I'm pretty sure that this means less than or similar to, like less than or equal to but more vague.
– Kyky
Nov 19 at 3:56
I'm pretty sure that this means less than or similar to, like less than or equal to but more vague.
– Kyky
Nov 19 at 3:56
I assume it's a mix of
< and ≈. Is there a way to make sure this is the actual use case, or are there other definitions that can apply as well?– allthemikeysaretaken
Nov 19 at 3:59
I assume it's a mix of
< and ≈. Is there a way to make sure this is the actual use case, or are there other definitions that can apply as well?– allthemikeysaretaken
Nov 19 at 3:59
If the author just throws it there, without having defined it at some prior point, then It is simply bad notation. From what I can see in the link, it means "more than or at the order of magnitude of", but the more clear $approx$ (approximately) or $ge$ (more than or equal to) would perfectly do the job, so its just bad notation. I have seen it in the completely different context as $Alesssim B$ or $Apreceq B$ meaning "$A$ is less preferred than B", where it is a perfectly valid notation, but this has nothing to do with the text at hand.
– Jimmy R.
Nov 19 at 4:02
If the author just throws it there, without having defined it at some prior point, then It is simply bad notation. From what I can see in the link, it means "more than or at the order of magnitude of", but the more clear $approx$ (approximately) or $ge$ (more than or equal to) would perfectly do the job, so its just bad notation. I have seen it in the completely different context as $Alesssim B$ or $Apreceq B$ meaning "$A$ is less preferred than B", where it is a perfectly valid notation, but this has nothing to do with the text at hand.
– Jimmy R.
Nov 19 at 4:02
2
2
Being a physics paper my guess is it's a statement about orders of magnitude.
– dbx
Nov 19 at 4:03
Being a physics paper my guess is it's a statement about orders of magnitude.
– dbx
Nov 19 at 4:03
Yup, physicist love to describe things by "order of magnitude".
– JonathanZ
Nov 19 at 5:09
Yup, physicist love to describe things by "order of magnitude".
– JonathanZ
Nov 19 at 5:09
|
show 1 more comment
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
draft saved
draft discarded
draft saved
draft discarded
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fmath.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f3004499%2fwhat-is-the-meaning-of-the-symbol-lesssim%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
I'm pretty sure that this means less than or similar to, like less than or equal to but more vague.
– Kyky
Nov 19 at 3:56
I assume it's a mix of
<and≈. Is there a way to make sure this is the actual use case, or are there other definitions that can apply as well?– allthemikeysaretaken
Nov 19 at 3:59
If the author just throws it there, without having defined it at some prior point, then It is simply bad notation. From what I can see in the link, it means "more than or at the order of magnitude of", but the more clear $approx$ (approximately) or $ge$ (more than or equal to) would perfectly do the job, so its just bad notation. I have seen it in the completely different context as $Alesssim B$ or $Apreceq B$ meaning "$A$ is less preferred than B", where it is a perfectly valid notation, but this has nothing to do with the text at hand.
– Jimmy R.
Nov 19 at 4:02
2
Being a physics paper my guess is it's a statement about orders of magnitude.
– dbx
Nov 19 at 4:03
Yup, physicist love to describe things by "order of magnitude".
– JonathanZ
Nov 19 at 5:09