Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY

The Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY property represents the negative Infinity value.

You do not have to create a Number object to access this static property (use Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY).

Description

The value of Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY is the same as the negative value of the global object's Infinity property.

This value behaves slightly differently than mathematical infinity:

• Any positive value, including POSITIVE_INFINITY, multiplied by NEGATIVE_INFINITY is NEGATIVE_INFINITY.
• Any negative value, including NEGATIVE_INFINITY, multiplied by NEGATIVE_INFINITY is POSITIVE_INFINITY.
• Zero multiplied by NEGATIVE_INFINITY is NaN.
• NaN multiplied by NEGATIVE_INFINITY is NaN.
• NEGATIVE_INFINITY, divided by any negative value except NEGATIVE_INFINITY, is POSITIVE_INFINITY.
• NEGATIVE_INFINITY, divided by any positive value except POSITIVE_INFINITY, is NEGATIVE_INFINITY.
• NEGATIVE_INFINITY, divided by either NEGATIVE_INFINITY or POSITIVE_INFINITY, is NaN.
• Any number divided by NEGATIVE_INFINITY is zero.

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

Examples

Using NEGATIVE_INFINITY

In the following example, the variable smallNumber is assigned a value that is smaller than the minimum value. When the if statement executes, smallNumber has the value -Infinity, so smallNumber is set to a more manageable value before continuing.

var smallNumber = (-Number.MAX_VALUE) * 2;

if (smallNumber === Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY) {
  smallNumber = returnFinite();
}

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
ECMAScript 1st Edition (ECMA-262)	Standard	Initial definition. Implemented in JavaScript 1.1.
ECMAScript 5.1 (ECMA-262) The definition of 'Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY' in that specification.	Standard
ECMAScript 2015 (6th Edition, ECMA-262) The definition of 'Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY' in that specification.	Standard
ECMAScript 2017 Draft (ECMA-262) The definition of 'Number.NEGATIVE_INFINITY' in that specification.	Draft

Browser compatibility

See also

• Number.POSITIVE_INFINITY
• Number.isFinite()
• Infinity
• isFinite()