How to Write Approximately Equal (≈) Symbol in LaTeX

To Write approximate symbol in LaTeX document, use the LaTeX command \approx . It will add ≈ symbol in the text. The Approximately equal symbol (≈) holds a significant importance as it represents the approximation or similarity between two values.

In this article, we will discuss how to type approximately symbol (≈) in LaTeX document and its practical applications while working on mathematical equations, scientific papers or technical documents.

Symbol Overview

Symbol: Approximately Equal

Unicode: U+2248

Type: Mathematical

Package Requirement: None (built-in symbol)

Argument: None (no additional arguments needed)

LaTeX Command: \approx

Example: ≈

Syntax

To insert the approximately equal symbol (≈) in LaTeX, you will need to use the backslash followed by the “approx” command.

\approx

Examples of using the Approximate Equal Symbol

Let’s explore some of the practical examples of using the LaTeX command to write the approximately equal symbol.

Denote “X is approximately equal to y”

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
X \approx y
\end{document}

Output: 👇️

X ≈ y

In the above example, the approximately symbol is represented by two similar to symbol and express the similarity in two values.

Use Approximately Equal Symbol in Mathematical Expression

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
10\% \approx 0.1
\end{document}

Output: 👇️

10% ≈ 0.1

Here, in this example, the approximately symbol is used in the mathematical expression to display similarity in the two values such as 10% is similar to 0.1 value.

Using the amssymb Package to use Approximately Equal Symbol

You can use LaTeX command \thickapprox from the package amssymb to write the approximately symbol (≈) in LaTeX document.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{amssymb}
\begin{document}
  \[ x \thickapprox y \]
\end{document}

Output: 👇️

x ≈ y

Here, in this example, we have use package amssymb that provides \thickapprox command to write approximately symbol (≈) in the LaTeX documents.

Use of Approximately Equal Symbol in Mathematical Equations

The approximately equal symbol (≈) is commonly used in mathematical equations to represent approximation, rounding, or similarity betweeen values.

It is used in statistics, numerical analysis, and physics to signify an acceptable degree of precision.

Conclusion

Using the LaTeX command \approx, you can write the approximately equal symbol (≈) in LaTeX documents. The approximately equal symbol (≈) is used to express approximations or similarities between values.

While using the approximate equal symbol in LaTeX document, ensure appropriate spacing around the symbol in mathematical expressions for better readability.