[seqfan] Mathematical symbol.

[CLAUDE DEQUATRE]

                                                                                             Dear All,

  In the Shamos's catalog of the real numbers (Ed 2011), 2nd line on the top of page 301, there is this symbol: ≺ which is unknown to me.
Whereas the first and the third formulas give 1.2360679774997... the 2nd one just on the right of the symbol does not.
What is the meaning of this symbol ?

Link to Shamos's catalog:
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=ae33a269baba5e8b1038e719fb3209e8a00abec5

                                                                                       Many thanks in advance for your help.

                                                                                                        C. Dequatre.