The Lorenz curve is a graphical representation used to illustrate income or wealth distribution within a population. It plots the cumulative percentage of total income received by the bottom x% of the population, allowing for a visual comparison of equality versus inequality. A perfectly equal distribution would appear as a 45-degree line, while the curve itself typically bows below this line, indicating varying levels of inequality. The area between the Lorenz curve and the line of perfect equality can be quantified using the Gini coefficient, which measures income inequality on a scale from 0 to 1. A Gini coefficient of 0 represents perfect equality, while a coefficient of 1 indicates maximum inequality. This tool is widely used in economics and social sciences to analyze and compare income distributions across different regions or time periods.