Comparing & Contrasting - mathematically: An Introduction

You have probably heard of the expression: "You are comparing apples and oranges", meaning that the comparison made was not appropriate, not valid or unfair.

Comparing most often entails finding similarities but may also include the detailing of variations or differences. Contrasting, however, seeks to discover some measure of those differences, whether physical or numerical.

To compare or contrast numerical quantities in mathematics generally involves one of two arithmetical operations - that of division or that of subtraction. The former comparison is called a ratio; the latter often involves an inequality. In the previous topic on Equality, Equivalence and Order, inequalities were found to be intimately linked with the linear ordering of numbers on the real line. This tutorial will discuss comparison by ratio and some of its spin offs in the real world.

Last Updated by SAS October 07, 2026, 16:00:41