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Mathematics  4024  
Inequalities  

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Fahad  Khurram       Mathematics  4024  D  Calc  Version  

Inequalities

a<b means a is less than b (so b is greater than a)

a≤b means a is less than or equal to b (so b is

greater than or equal to a)

a≥b means a is greater than or equal to b etc.

a>b means a is greater than b etc.

If you have an inequality, you can add or subtract

numbers from each side of the inequality, as with an
equation. You can also multiply or divide by a constant.
However, if you multiply or divide by a negative
number, the inequality sign is reversed.

Example Solve 3(x + 4) < 5x + 9

3x + 12 < 5x + 9

∴ -2x < -3 ∴ x > 3/2 (note: sign reversed because we

divided by -2)

Inequalities can be used to describe what range of

values a variable can be. E.g. 4 ≤ x < 10, means x is
greater than or equal to 4 but less than 10.

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Fahad  Khurram       Mathematics  4024  D  Calc  Version  

Graphs

Inequalities are represented on graphs using shading.

For example, if y > 4x, the graph of y = 4x would be
drawn. Then either all of the points greater than 4x
would be shaded or all of the points less than or equal
to 4x would be shaded.

Example: x + y < 7

and 1 < x < 4 (NB: this is the same as the two inequalities
1 < x and x < 4) Represent these inequalities on a graph
by leaving unshaded the required regions (i.e. do not
shade the points which satisfy the inequalities, but
shade everywhere else).

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Fahad  Khurram       Mathematics  4024  D  Calc  Version  

Number Lines Inequalities can also be represented on

number lines. Draw a number line and above the line
draw a line for each inequality, over the numbers for
which it is true. At the end of these lines, draw a circle.
The circle should be filled in if the inequality can equal
that number and left unfilled if it cannot.

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Fahad  Khurram       Mathematics  4024  D  Calc  Version  

Example: On the number line below show the solution

to these inequalities. -7 ≤ 2x - 3 < 3

This can be split into the two inequalities: -7 ≤ 2x - 3 and

2x - 3 < 3 ∴ -4 ≤ 2x and 2x < 6

∴ -2 ≤ x and x < 3

The circle is filled in at –2 because the first inequality

specifies that x can equal –2, whereas x is less than
(and not equal to) 3 and so the circle is not filled in at 3.

The solution to the inequalities occurs where the two

lines overlap, i.e. for -2 ≤ x < 3

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