It's a thing that I've always thought that people over-complicate. It's just there, the small side with the small number the big side with the big number...
this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2024
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For a while, I've seen "<" and ">" as a slanted "=", which is to say, these numbers are not equal, and the larger side is the larger number and the smaller side is the smaller number.
Works for me, IDK.
But shouldn't it be 8 < 1 because the eight is heavier and squeezes the bars of the = together?
I'm with you, the croc is an opportunist and will eat the smaller, easier prey.
But shouldn't it be 8 < 1
That would be a pair of scissors, on its way to cut the number 1.
No, since it's bigger it stretches the lines apart :)
Whoever my first teacher who taught me this did over complicate it, because when I wrapped my brain around bigger side equals bigger number and smaller side equals smaller (much later than I should have) it was a revelation and also seemed ridiculous it didn't start out that simple.
I agree. It’s totally simple and people overcomplicate.
BTW one nice thing about German is, that you can even use the same logic for Boolean operators: The AND operator ∧ is called UND being the shorter word (when you put the name at the top). The OR operator ∨ is called ODER being the longer word.
You can use the same logic in English if you Place AND/OR at the bottom instead 😁
I always remember those as "knife" and "cup", but you have to know that I use my cups the wrong way around.
When you have two things AB on a table and you come in with a knife or cup (NB: upside down) from above, the knife will separate them "A or B" while the cup will catch them together like a pair of angry wasps "A and B".
The teacher who first taught me told me “Pac Man wants to get the most points” and that stuck with me
Thanks I finally understood this thread, kept thinking people were viewing the crocodile/duck/whatever from above
I don't think I've ever been taught a mnemonic with animals
The small number is on the small side of the symbol, the large number is on the large side, it seems pretty intuitive to me, to be honest.
big side, big number
I also have a theoretical degree in physics
You're theoretically hired!
Surely in theoretical physics, the most common use of > is in a ket (eg. |ψ>).
arguably, it's |ψ〉, which is not the same as >
No? Not everyone's doing work on quantum systems. Far from it. Most people do not need to use Dirac notation.
I guess not. Its just that when I hear 'theoretical physics' I immediately think of particle physics (and related fields). I have this idea that in most branches of physics people just say the topic, eg. astronomy, material sciences, or whatever; and don't usually specify whether they are doing theoretical work or experimental/empirical work. But in particle physics ... my impression is that people are more likely to specify. Anyway, that's just my own bias I guess.
<3 is "less than three", and 3 is "three" so logically < is "less than"
aww love you too bro <3
I had no idea that people struggled with this so much and have come up with such crazy (to me) ways of figuring it out.
Most of the world, if asked to write down numbers 1-100 on a line, would do so left to right. The < and > symbols are arrows pointing left and right. To the left the numbers decrease (less than) and to the right the numbers increase (greater than).
All this stuff about crocodiles and ducks seems like such a bizarre way to remember it!
Edit: thanks for the comments, it's fascinating to get an insight on how differently people's brains work. Something that seems like such an obvious concept is just as baffling to others as the crocodile is for me.
To attempt to explain it better though: Say the number you're comparing to is 50. If x is less than that, say 30, then it would appear to the left of 50 in the list and the arrow would point that way <--. If it's greater than 50 then it would be to the right -->
you say that but your method is only just as intuitive lol, wild how many methods work.
Here's a wild thought: inequalities are not always written with the lower number on the left... or there wouldn't be a need for two symbols.
I see nothing wrong with this.
I earned it as the larger part being on the side of the bigger number
.<:
What the bird beak pecks is meek.
I still sometimes think of pillars of one building when I think of concept of "tomorrow" because seeing those pillars was supposedly the first time in my childhood when I heard about "tomorrow".
when you hold your hands with your fingers spread out in front of you the L is on the left
“How do you know if someone is doing a phd in physics?”
Ehh
- They tend to get the sign wrong, or straight up not know it and end every sentence with "or the other way around"
- their room is a mess
- they have a soldering iron and a box full of Arduinos/Rasberry Pis/ESPs
- they have weird hobbies, (or none, because their work is sufficiently shaped like weird hobbies/obsessions)
- they regularly say "local minimum" and "higher order effects" in casual conversation
What did I forget?
Indicative of the fact this approach is counterintuitive to our thinking, but we're too stupid to adopt a new way to show it.
some ppl shouldn't have degrees
While in a vaccum this statement is true i dont think its appropriate here. Small things like this dont define how good someone is at the subject in question.
According the old joke, and with no offence to scholars, the answer is :
“They’ll fucking tell you”
My Mama says that alligators are ornery because they got all them teeth and no toothbrush
Another way to remember is that < is like a squished L, for "Less than"
The version I got taught was gobbledy monster!
If you see it as a function of height, the left side of < has a smaller height than the right side
MesseR Rechts, GabeL Links.
Every single time when setting up dishes on the table.
Didn't know so many people had trouble with this. To me they're as different as b and d. Never had to think about it
That's exactly the same level as the crocodile mnemonic.
Wed nes day