Skip to content

JavaScript Infinity

  • by

In JavaScript, Infinity is a special numeric value that represents positive infinity. It is a property of the global object, which means you can access it directly without any qualification.

It is a predefined global variable that represents positive infinity. Here’s the syntax:

Infinity

You can directly use the Infinity keyword in your code wherever a numeric value is expected. For example, you can assign it to a variable, use it in mathematical calculations, or compare it with other values.

JavaScript Infinity example

Here’s an example of how you can use Infinity in JavaScript:

console.log(Infinity);  // Output: Infinity

console.log(10 / 0);   // Output: Infinity

console.log(Infinity + 1);  // Output: Infinity

console.log(Infinity + Infinity);  // Output: Infinity

console.log(1 / Infinity);  // Output: 0

console.log(-Infinity);  // Output: -Infinity

console.log(-10 / 0);  // Output: -Infinity

console.log(-Infinity - 1);  // Output: -Infinity

Output:

JavaScript Infinity

As you can see from the examples, dividing a number by 0 or adding/subtracting Infinity to/from a number always results in Infinity. Similarly, dividing 1 by Infinity results in 0, and the negative counterpart of Infinity is -Infinity.

It’s important to note that Infinity is a property of the Number object in JavaScript, and it behaves like a number when used in mathematical operations. However, it’s not a valid number in the traditional sense, as it represents an unbounded value beyond the limits of the number system.

Here’s a practical example that demonstrates the use of Infinity in JavaScript:

// Function to calculate the factorial of a number
function factorial(n) {
  if (n === 0) {
    return 1;
  } else {
    return n * factorial(n - 1);
  }
}

// Calculate factorial of a number until it reaches Infinity
var i = 0;
while (true) {
  var result = factorial(i);
  if (result === Infinity) {
    console.log("Factorial of", i, "reaches Infinity");
    break;
  }
  console.log("Factorial of", i, "is", result);
  i++;
}

In this example, we have a function called factorial that calculates the factorial of a given number n. The function uses recursion to compute the factorial.

The code then enters a while loop that continues indefinitely. Inside the loop, we calculate the factorial of each number i and store the result in the result variable. We check if the result is equal to Infinity. If it is, we log a message indicating that the factorial has reached Infinity and break out of the loop. Otherwise, we log the current factorial value and increment i for the next iteration.

This example demonstrates that the factorial of a certain number eventually grows to a point where it exceeds the maximum representable number in JavaScript, resulting in Infinity.

Comment if you have any doubts or suggestions on this JS basic topic.

Note: The All JS Examples codes are tested on the Firefox browser and the Chrome browser.

OS: Windows 10

Code: HTML 5 Version

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Tutorial

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading