# lt\(&lt;\) {#lt}

**Parent topic:**[Operators](../../../Programming/Operators/Operators.md)

## Syntax {#syntax}

X&lt;Y

## Arguments {#arguments}

**X** and **Y** is a scalar/pair/vector/matrix/set. If *X* or *Y* is a pair/vector/matrix, the other is a scalar or a pair/vector/matrix of the same size.

## Details {#details}

If neither *X* nor *Y* is a set, return the element-by-element comparison of *X*&lt;*Y*. If *X* and *Y* are sets, check if *X* is a proper subset of *Y*.

## Examples {#examples}

```
1 2 3 < 2;
// output: [1,0,0]

1 2 3<0 2 4;
// output: [0,0,1]

2:3<1:6;
// output: 0 : 1

m1=1..6$2:3;
m1;
```

|\#0|\#1|\#2|
|---|---|---|
|1|3|5|
|2|4|6|

```
m1 lt 4;
```

|\#0|\#1|\#2|
|---|---|---|
|1|1|0|
|1|0|0|

```
m2=6..1$2:3;
m2;
```

|\#0|\#1|\#2|
|---|---|---|
|6|4|2|
|5|3|1|

```
m1<m2;
```

|\#0|\#1|\#2|
|---|---|---|
|1|1|0|
|1|0|0|

Set operation: If X&lt;Y then X is a proper subset of Y

```
x=set(4 6);
x;
// output: set(6,4)
y=set(8 9 4 6);
y;
// output: set(6,4,9,8)

x<y;
// output: 1
// x is a proper subset of y

y<x;
// output: 0
// y is not a proper subset of x

x<x;
// output: 0
// x is not a proper subset of x
```

