U+2AA1 · Math symbol
HTML entity
⪡
LaTeX
\Lt
Double Nested Less-Than Symbol ⪡
⪡ is double nested less-than, U+2AA1. Unicode also records it as “absolute continuity”. It was added in Unicode 3.2, and Unicode files it under Math symbol.
Also known as
- absolute continuity
Codes & technical data
| Unicode | U+2AA1 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ⪡ | |
| HTML decimal | ⪡ | |
| CSS | \2AA1 | |
| JavaScript | \u{2AA1} | |
| Python | \U00002AA1 | |
| Java / C# | \u2AA1 | |
| Rust | \u{2aa1} | |
| Swift | \u{2AA1} | |
| PHP | \u{2AA1} | |
| URL encoded | %E2%AA%A1 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 AA A1 | |
| UTF-16 bytes | 2AA1 | |
| Base64 | 4qqh | |
| Decimal | 10913 | |
| HTML entity | ⪡ | |
| LaTeX | \Lt | |
| Category | Math symbol (Sm) | |
| Introduced | Unicode 3.2 | |
Will ⪡ survive being pasted?
- Normalisation. Yes. ⪡ is unchanged by NFKC, so it survives normalising systems intact.
- Legacy encodings. ⪡ is Unicode-only — it has no Latin-1 equivalent, so a system stuck on an 8-bit encoding cannot represent it.
- Size. 3 bytes in UTF-8. Character-limited fields — SMS, bios, some form validators — usually count bytes, not characters.
Unicode cross-references
The standard points readers of ⪡ at these characters — usually because they look alike, or because one is the correct choice where the other is often used by mistake.
Other than characters
Unicode names 24 characters ending in “than”. They differ by direction, weight or decoration rather than by meaning.
Nearby in Supplemental Mathematical Operators
A second full block of operators: n-ary forms, integrals with modifiers, and the dense family of comparison relations that differ only in the slant or stroke of the equals bar.
How to type ⪡
| Windows | Type 2AA1 then press Alt+X |
|---|---|
| macOS | Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, then search for “double nested less-than” |
| Linux | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2aa1, press Enter |
| HTML | ⪡ |
About Unicode’s Math symbol category
Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I type the ⪡ double nested less-than symbol?
- On Windows, type 2AA1 and press Alt+X. On Linux press Ctrl+Shift+U then 2aa1. On any system the quickest route is the copy button on this page.
- What is the code for ⪡?
- Double Nested Less-Than is U+2AA1, written in HTML as ⪡ and in LaTeX as \Lt. In UTF-8 it takes 3 bytes. The table above lists every escape format.
- What kind of character is ⪡?
- Double Nested Less-Than is filed under Math symbol in the Supplemental Mathematical Operators block, and was introduced in Unicode 3.2. Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.