The greater than sign > \ r \ is less than the sign, and the greater than sign (>) is used to indicate the relationship between them. \ r \ nIt is generally believed that harriet, a British mathematician, began to adopt it at 163 1, while his own use of symbols greater than and less than should be at 163 1. Thomas Harriot Thomas Harriot (1560 _ 162 1 year) is a famous British astronomer, mathematician and translator. 162 1 died in London on July 2, 2008. The symbol ""was first used in his book Artis Analyticae Praxis, but it was not published until 163 1 year after his death. Therefore, it is generally considered that it was 163 1 year. "greater than" and ">" and "less than" and "(much greater than) were quickly accepted by the mathematical community and are still in use today.