How can I represent an infinite number in Python?

ssierral picture ssierral · Oct 16, 2011 · Viewed 649.8k times · Source

How can I represent an infinite number in python? No matter which number you enter in the program, no number should be greater than this representation of infinity.

Answer

WilHall picture WilHall · Oct 16, 2011

In Python, you can do:

test = float("inf")

In Python 3.5, you can do:

import math
test = math.inf

And then:

test > 1
test > 10000
test > x

Will always be true. Unless of course, as pointed out, x is also infinity or "nan" ("not a number").

Additionally (Python 2.x ONLY), in a comparison to Ellipsis, float(inf) is lesser, e.g:

float('inf') < Ellipsis

would return true.