TeXipedia

gg

Denotes a much greater than relationship between mathematical quantities, indicating a significantly larger magnitude.

Overview

Essential in mathematical comparisons and asymptotic analysis where strict inequality is insufficient to capture the degree of difference between values.

  • Common in computer science when discussing algorithmic complexity and growth rates
  • Used in physics and engineering to indicate orders of magnitude differences
  • Appears frequently in number theory and analysis for comparing growth rates of functions
  • Particularly useful in asymptotic notation and when describing limiting behavior

Examples

Comparing growth rates of functions in asymptotic analysis

n2≫nlog⁡nn^2 \gg n \log n 
n^2 \gg n \log n

Expressing that one quantity is much greater than another in physics

mass of Sun≫mass of Earth\text{mass of Sun} \gg \text{mass of Earth} 
\text{mass of Sun} \gg \text{mass of Earth}

Showing relative magnitudes in numerical calculations

106≫10310^{6} \gg 10^{3} 
10^{6} \gg 10^{3}