Definition
Less than or equal to
Less than or equal to means smaller than a value or exactly equal to it.
What it means
This comparison sets an upper boundary and keeps the boundary itself. Values below it work, and the boundary value works too.
Remember it
The extra line under the less-than sign says, “Equal counts too.”
Example
A box may carry m ≤ 8 kg. A mass of 8 kg is allowed, and 6 kg is allowed; 9 kg is not.
Watch for
The statement m < 8 does not include 8. The statement m ≤ 8 does.
Common mix-up
Do not read ≤ as only “less than.” The equal case belongs to the solution set.
Exact meaning
For numbers a and b, a ≤ b is true when a is less than b or when a and b are equal. Equality is part of the comparison.