Covering relation
= Covering relation
{title2=$x\prec y$}
{wiki}
= Cover relation
{synonym}
In a <partially ordered set>, $y$ covers $x$ when $x<y$ and there is no $z$ with $x<z<y$. Thus a <cover relation> records an immediate increase, rather than every comparable pair. For a finite <partially ordered set>, every strict comparison can be obtained by chaining <cover relations>.