code: protected Predicate createLessThan(Path root, CriteriaQuery<?> query, CriteriaBuilder cb, String propertyPath, Object argument,
                                         PersistenceContext context)
      {
          if(!(argument instanceof Comparable))
              throw new BadRequestException(context.getMessageSource().getErrorMessage(
                      INCOMPATIBLE_QUERY_OPERATION, context.getLocale(), "lt"));
  
          return cb.lessThan(root.get(propertyPath), (Comparable) argument);
      }
docs: Apply a "less than" constraint to the named property.
  
  
  @param query
  @param propertyPath property name prefixed with an association alias
  @param argument     value
  @param context
  @return Predicate