Much Greater Than in LaTeX (\gg)

Where it is used

Much-greater-than relation, indicating one quantity vastly exceeds another.

Use \gg in asymptotic or physical reasoning, such as n \gg 1 for large-sample approximations, kT \gg \hbar\omega for the classical limit, or Vinogradov notation f \gg g meaning g = O(f). It is one symbol with relation spacing; typing >> produces two separate relations. The stronger \ggg also exists. Since \gg is not quantitative, papers often follow it with a precise statement, for instance n \gg \log(1/\delta) together with the constant involved. Asymptotic arguments in physics often state the regime once, for example L \gg \lambda, and then drop small terms.

Also listed under: Inequalities & Order

Minimal compilable example

Paste this into an empty .tex file and compile it with pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amsmath}
\begin{document}
Much Greater Than: $\gg$

\[ n \gg 1 \implies \left(1 + \frac{1}{n}\right)^n \approx e \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Precedes\prec
• Much Less Than\ll
• Succeeds\succ
• Not Parallel\nparallel
• Precedes or Equal\preceq
• Parallel\parallel

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Much Greater Than in LaTeX?

Type \gg in math mode, for example $n \gg 1 \implies \left(1 + \frac{1}{n}\right)^n \approx e$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \gg?

None. \gg is part of standard LaTeX, so it compiles with nothing in the preamble but the document class.

Can I use \gg in text mode, or only in math mode?

Only in math mode. Outside $...$ LaTeX stops with "Missing $ inserted", so write $\gg$ in running text. If you only need the glyph in text, paste the Unicode character ≫ instead (with XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX and a font that has it).