Not a Number

Not a Number

In computing, NaN (), standing for Not a Number, is a particular value of a numeric data type (often a floating-point number) which is undefined or unrepresentable, such as the result of zero divided by zero. Systematic use of NaNs was introduced by the IEEE 754 floating-point standard in 1985, along with the representation of other non-finite quantities such as infinities. In mathematics, zero divided by zero is typically undefined and is therefore represented by NaN in computing systems. The square root of a negative number is not a real number, and is therefore also represented by NaN in compliant computing systems. NaNs may also be used to represent missing values in computations.Two separate kinds of NaNs are provided, termed quiet NaNs and signaling NaNs. Quiet NaNs are used to propagate errors resulting from invalid operations or values. Signaling NaNs can support advanced features such as mixing numerical and symbolic computation or other extensions to basic floating-point arithmetic.

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