mathjs/docs/reference/functions/smaller.md

Math.js is an extensive math library for JavaScript and Node.js. It features a flexible expression parser and offers an integrated solution to work with numbers, big numbers, complex numbers, units, and matrices.

# Function smaller

Test whether value x is smaller than y.

The function returns true when x is smaller than y and the relative
difference between x and y is larger than the configured epsilon. The
function cannot be used to compare values smaller than approximately 2.22e-16.

For matrices, the function is evaluated element wise.


## Syntax

```js
math.smaller(x, y)
```

### Parameters

Parameter | Type | Description
--------- | ---- | -----------
`x` | Number | BigNumber | Boolean | Unit | String | Array | Matrix | null | First value to compare
`y` | Number | BigNumber | Boolean | Unit | String | Array | Matrix | null | Second value to compare

### Returns

Type | Description
---- | -----------
Boolean | Array | Matrix | Returns true when the x is smaller than y, else returns false


## Examples

```js
math.smaller(2, 3);            // returns true
math.smaller(5, 2 * 2);        // returns false

var a = math.unit('5 cm');
var b = math.unit('2 inch');
math.smaller(a, b);            // returns true
```


## See also

[equal](equal.md),
[unequal](unequal.md),
[smallerEq](smallerEq.md),
[larger](larger.md),
[largerEq](largerEq.md),
[compare](compare.md)


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