diff --git a/r1cs-std/src/lib.rs b/r1cs-std/src/lib.rs
index b0180c2..39ea362 100644
--- a/r1cs-std/src/lib.rs
+++ b/r1cs-std/src/lib.rs
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ pub mod pairing;
 pub mod alloc;
 pub mod eq;
 pub mod select;
+pub mod smaller_than;
 
 pub mod prelude {
     pub use crate::{
diff --git a/r1cs-std/src/smaller_than.rs b/r1cs-std/src/smaller_than.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3669dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/r1cs-std/src/smaller_than.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
+use crate::{
+    boolean::Boolean,
+    fields::{fp::FpGadget, FieldGadget},
+    ToBitsGadget,
+};
+use algebra::PrimeField;
+use r1cs_core::{ConstraintSystem, SynthesisError};
+use std::marker::PhantomData;
+
+pub struct SmallerThanGadget<ConstraintF: PrimeField> {
+    constraint_field_type: PhantomData<ConstraintF>,
+}
+
+impl<ConstraintF: PrimeField> SmallerThanGadget<ConstraintF> {
+    // the function assumes a and b are known to be <= (p-1)/2
+    pub fn is_smaller_than<CS: ConstraintSystem<ConstraintF>>(
+        mut cs: CS,
+        a: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+        b: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+    ) -> Result<Boolean, SynthesisError> {
+        let two = ConstraintF::one() + ConstraintF::one();
+        let d0 = a.sub(cs.ns(|| "a - b"), b)?;
+        let d = d0.mul_by_constant(cs.ns(|| "mul 2"), &two)?;
+        let d_bits = d.to_bits_strict(cs.ns(|| "d to bits"))?;
+        let d_bits_len = d_bits.len();
+        Ok(d_bits[d_bits_len - 1])
+    }
+
+    // the function assumes a and b are known to be <= (p-1)/2
+    pub fn is_smaller_than_or_equal_to<CS: ConstraintSystem<ConstraintF>>(
+        mut cs: CS,
+        a: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+        b: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+    ) -> Result<Boolean, SynthesisError> {
+        let b_plus_one = b.add_constant(cs.ns(|| "plus one"), &ConstraintF::one())?;
+        Self::is_smaller_than(cs.ns(|| "is smaller than"), a, &b_plus_one)
+    }
+
+    // the function assumes a and b are known to be <= (p-1)/2
+    pub fn enforce_smaller_than<CS: ConstraintSystem<ConstraintF>>(
+        mut cs: CS,
+        a: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+        b: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+    ) -> Result<(), SynthesisError> {
+        let is_smaller_than = Self::is_smaller_than(cs.ns(|| "is smaller than"), a, b)?;
+        cs.enforce(
+            || "enforce smaller than",
+            |_| is_smaller_than.lc(CS::one(), ConstraintF::one()),
+            |lc| lc + (ConstraintF::one(), CS::one()),
+            |lc| lc + (ConstraintF::one(), CS::one()),
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    // the function assumes a and b are known to be <= (p-1)/2
+    pub fn enforce_smaller_than_or_equal_to<CS: ConstraintSystem<ConstraintF>>(
+        mut cs: CS,
+        a: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+        b: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+    ) -> Result<(), SynthesisError> {
+        let b_plus_one = b.add_constant(cs.ns(|| "plus one"), &ConstraintF::one())?;
+        Self::enforce_smaller_than(cs.ns(|| "enforce smaller than"), a, &b_plus_one)
+    }
+
+    pub fn enforce_smaller_than_strict<CS: ConstraintSystem<ConstraintF>>(
+        mut cs: CS,
+        a: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+        b: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+    ) -> Result<(), SynthesisError> {
+        let a_bits = a.to_bits(cs.ns(|| "a to bits"))?;
+        Boolean::enforce_smaller_or_equal_than::<_, _, ConstraintF, _>(
+            cs.ns(|| "enforce a smaller than modulus minus one div two"),
+            &a_bits,
+            ConstraintF::modulus_minus_one_div_two(),
+        )?;
+        let b_bits = b.to_bits(cs.ns(|| "b to bits"))?;
+        Boolean::enforce_smaller_or_equal_than::<_, _, ConstraintF, _>(
+            cs.ns(|| "enforce b smaller than modulus minus one div two"),
+            &b_bits,
+            ConstraintF::modulus_minus_one_div_two(),
+        )?;
+
+        let is_smaller_than = Self::is_smaller_than(cs.ns(|| "is smaller than"), a, b)?;
+        cs.enforce(
+            || "enforce smaller than",
+            |_| is_smaller_than.lc(CS::one(), ConstraintF::one()),
+            |lc| lc + (ConstraintF::one(), CS::one()),
+            |lc| lc + (ConstraintF::one(), CS::one()),
+        );
+
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
+    pub fn enforce_smaller_than_or_equal_to_strict<CS: ConstraintSystem<ConstraintF>>(
+        mut cs: CS,
+        a: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+        b: &FpGadget<ConstraintF>,
+    ) -> Result<(), SynthesisError> {
+        let b_plus_one = b.add_constant(cs.ns(|| "plus one"), &ConstraintF::one())?;
+        Self::enforce_smaller_than_strict(cs.ns(|| "enforce smaller than strict"), a, &b_plus_one)
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use rand::{Rng, SeedableRng};
+    use rand_xorshift::XorShiftRng;
+    use std::cmp::Ordering;
+
+    use super::SmallerThanGadget;
+    use crate::{
+        alloc::AllocGadget, fields::fp::FpGadget, test_constraint_system::TestConstraintSystem,
+    };
+    use algebra::{bls12_381::Fr, PrimeField, UniformRand};
+    use r1cs_core::ConstraintSystem;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_smaller_than() {
+        let mut rng = &mut XorShiftRng::from_seed([
+            0x5d, 0xbe, 0x62, 0x59, 0x8d, 0x31, 0x3d, 0x76, 0x32, 0x37, 0xdb, 0x17, 0xe5, 0xbc,
+            0x06, 0x54,
+        ]);
+        fn rand_in_range<R: Rng>(rng: &mut R) -> Fr {
+            let pminusonedivtwo = Fr::from_repr(Fr::modulus_minus_one_div_two());
+            let mut r;
+            loop {
+                r = Fr::rand(rng);
+                if r <= pminusonedivtwo {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            r
+        }
+        for i in 0..10 {
+            let mut cs = TestConstraintSystem::<Fr>::new();
+            let a = rand_in_range(&mut rng);
+            let a_var = FpGadget::<Fr>::alloc(cs.ns(|| "a"), || Ok(a)).unwrap();
+            let b = rand_in_range(&mut rng);
+            let b_var = FpGadget::<Fr>::alloc(cs.ns(|| "b"), || Ok(b)).unwrap();
+
+            match a.cmp(&b) {
+                Ordering::Less => {
+                    SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_strict(
+                        cs.ns(|| "smaller than test"),
+                        &a_var,
+                        &b_var,
+                    )
+                    .unwrap();
+                    SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_or_equal_to_strict(
+                        cs.ns(|| "smaller than test 2"),
+                        &a_var,
+                        &b_var,
+                    )
+                    .unwrap();
+                },
+                Ordering::Greater => {
+                    SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_strict(
+                        cs.ns(|| "smaller than test"),
+                        &b_var,
+                        &a_var,
+                    )
+                    .unwrap();
+                    SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_or_equal_to_strict(
+                        cs.ns(|| "smaller than test 2"),
+                        &b_var,
+                        &a_var,
+                    )
+                    .unwrap();
+                },
+                _ => {},
+            }
+
+            if i == 0 {
+                println!("number of constraints: {}", cs.num_constraints());
+            }
+            assert!(cs.is_satisfied());
+        }
+
+        for _i in 0..10 {
+            let mut cs = TestConstraintSystem::<Fr>::new();
+            let a = rand_in_range(&mut rng);
+            let a_var = FpGadget::<Fr>::alloc(cs.ns(|| "a"), || Ok(a)).unwrap();
+            let b = rand_in_range(&mut rng);
+            let b_var = FpGadget::<Fr>::alloc(cs.ns(|| "b"), || Ok(b)).unwrap();
+
+            match b.cmp(&a) {
+                Ordering::Less => {
+                    SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_strict(
+                        cs.ns(|| "smaller than test"),
+                        &a_var,
+                        &b_var,
+                    )
+                    .unwrap();
+                    SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_or_equal_to_strict(
+                        cs.ns(|| "smaller than test 2"),
+                        &a_var,
+                        &b_var,
+                    )
+                    .unwrap();
+                },
+                Ordering::Greater => {
+                    SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_strict(
+                        cs.ns(|| "smaller than test"),
+                        &b_var,
+                        &a_var,
+                    )
+                    .unwrap();
+                    SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_or_equal_to(
+                        cs.ns(|| "smaller than test 2"),
+                        &b_var,
+                        &a_var,
+                    )
+                    .unwrap();
+                },
+                _ => {},
+            }
+
+            assert!(!cs.is_satisfied());
+        }
+
+        for _i in 0..10 {
+            let mut cs = TestConstraintSystem::<Fr>::new();
+            let a = rand_in_range(&mut rng);
+            let a_var = FpGadget::<Fr>::alloc(cs.ns(|| "a"), || Ok(a)).unwrap();
+            SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_strict(
+                cs.ns(|| "smaller than test"),
+                &a_var,
+                &a_var,
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+
+            assert!(!cs.is_satisfied());
+        }
+
+        for _i in 0..10 {
+            let mut cs = TestConstraintSystem::<Fr>::new();
+            let a = rand_in_range(&mut rng);
+            let a_var = FpGadget::<Fr>::alloc(cs.ns(|| "a"), || Ok(a)).unwrap();
+            SmallerThanGadget::<Fr>::enforce_smaller_than_or_equal_to(
+                cs.ns(|| "smaller than or equal to test"),
+                &a_var,
+                &a_var,
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+
+            assert!(cs.is_satisfied());
+        }
+    }
+}