Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY

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This feature is well established and works across many devices and browser versions. It’s been available across browsers since July 2015.

The Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY static data property represents the positive Infinity value.

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Value

The same as the value of the global Infinity property.

Property attributes of Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY
Writableno
Enumerableno
Configurableno

Description

The Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY value behaves slightly differently than mathematical infinity:

  • Any positive value, including POSITIVE_INFINITY, multiplied by POSITIVE_INFINITY is POSITIVE_INFINITY.
  • Any negative value, including NEGATIVE_INFINITY, multiplied by POSITIVE_INFINITY is NEGATIVE_INFINITY.
  • Any positive number divided by POSITIVE_INFINITY is positive zero (as defined in IEEE 754).
  • Any negative number divided by POSITIVE_INFINITY is negative zero (as defined in IEEE 754.
  • Zero multiplied by POSITIVE_INFINITY is NaN.
  • NaN multiplied by POSITIVE_INFINITY is NaN.
  • POSITIVE_INFINITY, divided by any negative value except NEGATIVE_INFINITY, is NEGATIVE_INFINITY.
  • POSITIVE_INFINITY, divided by any positive value except POSITIVE_INFINITY, is POSITIVE_INFINITY.
  • POSITIVE_INFINITY, divided by either NEGATIVE_INFINITY or POSITIVE_INFINITY, is NaN.
  • Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY > x is true for any number x that isn't POSITIVE_INFINITY.

You might use the Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY property to indicate an error condition that returns a finite number in case of success. Note, however, that NaN would be more appropriate in such a case.

Because POSITIVE_INFINITY is a static property of Number, you always use it as Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY, rather than as a property of a number value.

Examples

Using POSITIVE_INFINITY

In the following example, the variable bigNumber is assigned a value that is larger than the maximum value. When the if statement executes, bigNumber has the value Infinity, so bigNumber is set to a more manageable value before continuing.

js
let bigNumber = Number.MAX_VALUE * 2;

if (bigNumber === Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY) {
  bigNumber = returnFinite();
}

Specifications

Specification
ECMAScript Language Specification
# sec-number.positive_infinity

Browser compatibility

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See also