∝

Proportional To

Unicode
U+221D
Category
Math
HTML Entity
∝
CSS
\221D
The Proportional To symbol (∝) is a mathematical operator used to show that two variables change at the exact same rate. First introduced in the 18th century, it looks a lot like a tiny infinity symbol that lost its right half. You'll mostly spot it hanging out in physics equations and math textbooks, but it also pops up in technical online discussions to easily explain direct relationships between data.

How to Type

Windows
Alt + 8733 or Win + . then search 'proportional'
macOS
Control + Command + Space then search 'proportional'
Linux
Ctrl + Shift + U then 221D
HTML
∝ or ∝

In Programming

While you won't find it as a built-in operator in standard programming languages, it is heavily used in LaTeX math blocks as \propto to render scientific equations. Developers also drop the Unicode character into code comments to quickly explain how an algorithm scales.

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Tags

HTML 8733 LaTeX propto U+221D data science math direct proportionality mathematics physics notation proportional proportional to proportionality sign ratio ratio symbol relationship varies as ∝ symbol

Related Symbols

± Plus Minus Sign × Multiplication Sign ÷ Division Sign ≠ Not Equal To ≈ Approximately Equal To ∞ Infinity √ Square Root ∑ Summation ∫ Integral π Pi ≤ Less Than or Equal To ≥ Greater Than or Equal To