1. **State the problem:** Explain the use and order of greater than and less than symbols in inequalities. 2. **Symbols:** The less than symbol is $<$ and means "smaller than." The greater than symbol is $>$ and means "larger than." 3. **Order in inequalities:** When writing inequalities with two or more numbers, the symbols show the order from smallest to largest or vice versa. 4. **Example:** $a < b < c$ means $a$ is less than $b$, and $b$ is less than $c$, so $a$ is the smallest and $c$ the largest. 5. **Reverse order:** $c > b > a$ means $c$ is greater than $b$, and $b$ is greater than $a$, so $c$ is the largest and $a$ the smallest. 6. **Summary:** Use $<$ to show increasing order and $>$ to show decreasing order when comparing numbers. This helps clearly express relationships between values.