An equal sign with a line through it, often represented as ‘≠’, signifies that two values are not equal to each other. This symbol is known as ‘not equal to’ and is widely used in mathematics and programming to indicate that comparison between two quantities does not hold true.
For instance, if you see the expression x ≠ y, it means that the variable x is not equal to the variable y. This is important in various mathematical contexts such as solving equations, inequalities, and functions, where distinguishing between equal and unequal values is crucial.
Overall, the ‘not equal to’ symbol helps in clearly communicating that two entities do not possess the same value, thus aiding in precise mathematical reasoning and programming logic.