What is the meaning of the symbol $lesssim$?
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2
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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
84.6k43378
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
84.6k43378
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
84.6k43378
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
84.6k43378
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.6k43378
asked Nov 19 at 3:48
allthemikeysaretaken
113
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.6k43378
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.6k43378
edited Nov 21 at 7:29
Graham Kemp
84.6k43378
84.6k43378
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
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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