Why is it important to understand how variables work, inequalities, and basic awareness of exponents before starting algebra?

It is important because they are the basics of algebra. Almost every algebraic problem you will ever solve is based on these fundamental properties. In equations, we almost never know every part of it so we will need variables to substitute the unknown amount in an equation. Variables are used for basically every equation/problem in algebra. Inequalities are not as important as variables but are still really important. Inequalities are basically comparing numbers. And in algebra when they add variables into an inequality, the inequality will help lower the number of possible values of said variable. And exponents are just a basic operation in algebra. Just like learning addition and subtraction. It is like a quicker and less complicated way of multiplying numbers.

answer: domain and range mean all possible values of x and y that could be substituted to the inequality. a solution means all possible values that make the inequality statement true. so while the range is still all real numbers, the solution is the shaded area, for which y will always be greater than the line of the function.