GCSE · Computer Science · AQA · Spec 8525

Greater than or equal to (relational operator)

You need at least 40 to pass. You score exactly 40. Pass? Of course — and ≥, 'greater than or equal to', is how a program agrees with you.

Relational operators · ≥

Do you pass with exactly 40?

A test is marked out of 100. The program prints "Pass" when mark ≥ 40. Drag the two ends to cover every mark that passes — then decide: is each end included (filled dot) or not (open dot)?

Lower endUpper end

Include the lower end (open circle)Include the upper end (open circle)

Try it yourself

True or False?

Put each condition in the column for what it evaluates to.

Still to sort

Evaluates to True (0)

The left value is bigger than the right, or exactly equal to it.

Where the line is: Equal values land here. That's the whole point of the 'or equal to' part.

Evaluates to False (0)

The left value is smaller than the right — even if only by a tiny amount.

Where the line is: 'Nearly equal' is not equal. Anything below the right-hand value lands here.

8 of 8 still to sort.

Each card is a condition. Decide what it evaluates to before you read why.

≥ inside an algorithm

Trace the countdown

Step through the code one line at a time and watch the condition column.

Before you step through: will this loop print 1, or stop after printing 2?

 1  n ← 3
 2  WHILE n ≥ 1
 3      OUTPUT n
 4      n ← n - 1
 5  ENDWHILE
 6  OUTPUT "Lift off!"

n	n ≥ 1
3

Output

Step 1: n starts at 3.

1 / 12

Press Next to run one line at a time. Say the condition out loud each time: 'is n bigger than, or equal to, 1?'

Step 1 of 12: n starts at 3..

Watch out: The loop checks its condition BEFORE each pass. When n is 1, the check is 1 ≥ 1, which is True — so 1 gets printed. The loop only ends when n reaches 0, because 0 ≥ 1 is False.

Same meaning, different spelling

Pseudo-code and maths: ≥vsPython, Java and JavaScript: >=

Different languages can use different symbols for the same operator. Here's the one you'll meet most.

Focus

How it's written

Pseudo-code and maths: ≥

One symbol: a > with a line underneath it

Python, Java and JavaScript: >=

Two characters side by side: > then =

The insight

The line under ≥ and the = in >= do the same job: they add 'or equal to'.

Typing it

Pseudo-code and maths: ≥

There's no ≥ key on a standard keyboard — it's easy to write by hand

Python, Java and JavaScript: >=

Both characters are on every keyboard, so it can be typed straight into code

What it means

Pseudo-code and maths: ≥

True when the left value is greater than or equal to the right

Python, Java and JavaScript: >=

True when the left value is greater than or equal to the right

The slip to watch for

Pseudo-code and maths: ≥

Leaving off the line underneath — then it's >, and the equal value gives False

Python, Java and JavaScript: >=

Typing the characters the wrong way round: => instead of >=. In Python that's a syntax error, so the program won't run

UK note

AQA's pseudo-code writes this operator as the single symbol ≥.

Your turn to write it

Write it, then check it

A cinema lets a customer see a film only if they are 15 or older. The customer's age is stored in the variable age. Write a selection statement (an IF statement) that outputs "Allowed" when the customer can see the film. [3 marks]

Your answer

0 words · your answer stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

The mark scheme

The condition compares age with 15 using ≥ (or >= in a language like Python) — so a customer who is exactly 15 is allowed (1 mark)
age is on the left and 15 on the right (age ≥ 15). Swapping them to 15 ≥ age would let in everyone aged 15 or under instead (1 mark)
OUTPUT "Allowed" sits inside the IF, so it only runs when the condition is True (1 mark)

Model answer

IF age ≥ 15 THEN OUTPUT "Allowed" ENDIF (In Python: if age >= 15: print("Allowed"))

'15 or older' means 15 itself counts, so the operator is ≥, not >. Then check the order: the thing being tested (age) on the left, the boundary (15) on the right.

WHAT YOU'VE LEARNED

A quick recap of today's lesson.

What you need to know

≥ is the relational operator 'greater than or equal to'. It compares two values and the result is True or False.
a ≥ b is True when a is bigger than b, and also when a is equal to b. It's False only when a is smaller than b.
Requirements worded 'at least', 'or more' or 'or older' usually call for ≥, because the boundary value itself counts.
Different languages can write it differently: ≥ in pseudo-code, >= in Python, Java and JavaScript.

The big picture

≥ means 'greater than or equal to'. It compares two values and gives True when the left value is bigger than the right OR exactly the same as it — so 40 ≥ 40 is True, and it's False only when the left value is smaller. You'll often use it in IF statements and loops when a rule says 'at least' or 'or more'. Pseudo-code often writes it as ≥, while languages such as Python, Java and JavaScript write it as >=.

Key points

1The boundary value makes a ≥ condition True: 40 ≥ 40 is True.

2Read left to right. 40 ≥ 45 asks 'is 40 at least 45?' — the answer is False.

3With negative numbers, bigger means further right on the number line: −3 ≥ −5 is True.

4Just below the boundary is not enough: 39.9 ≥ 40 is False.

5In a countdown loop such as WHILE n ≥ 1, the pass where n equals 1 still runs.

6≥ and >= are the same operator with the same meaning, just spelled differently.

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Worked example

Problem

A game gives the player a bonus life when their score is 1000 or more. Write the condition, then decide what happens when score is 999, 1000 and 1250.

⚠ Watch out

Treating ≥ as if it were >: saying 40 ≥ 40 is False because 40 isn't bigger than 40. The 'or equal to' part means equal values give True.

🧠

Memory hook

The line under ≥ is half an equals sign — it's the 'or equal to' bit. See the line, let the equal value in.

✓

Check yourself

Without looking back: is 7 ≥ 7 True or False? What about 6.5 ≥ 7? And how would you write the first one in Python?

Flashcards

(10)

What does the operator ≥ mean?

Greater than or equal to. It's True if the left value is bigger than the right, or the same as it.

What kind of result does a ≥ comparison give?

A Boolean value: True or False.

On a number line, how do you show every x where x ≥ 40?

A filled-in (closed) dot at 40 with the line running to the right — the filled dot shows 40 is included.

How do Python, Java and JavaScript write ≥?

>= — a greater-than sign followed by an equals sign.

Why is ≥ typed as >= in code?

There's no ≥ key on a standard keyboard, so code uses two characters that are on every keyboard: > then =.

What goes wrong if you type => instead of >= in Python?

It's a syntax error, so the program won't run. The order is greater than first, then equals.

Is −2 ≥ −6 True or False?

True. −2 is further right on the number line, so it is the bigger number.

Does 5 ≥ 9 mean the same as 9 ≥ 5?

No — order matters. 9 ≥ 5 is True, but 5 ≥ 9 is False.

Which words in a requirement usually point to ≥?

'At least', 'or more', 'or older', 'no less than' — they all mean the boundary value counts.

In WHILE n ≥ 1, does the loop body run when n is 1?

Yes. 1 ≥ 1 is True, so that pass runs. The loop only stops once n drops below 1.

Tap any card to flip it, or use Study as deck to go through them one at a time. In the full lesson these run as a spaced-repetition deck — you rate each card Hard, Good or Easy and the tricky ones keep coming back until they stick.

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Do you pass with exactly 40?

True or False?

Trace the countdown

Write it, then check it

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