std::numeric_limits::quiet_NaN

From Cppreference

Returns the special value "quiet not-a-number", as represented by the floating-point type T. Only meaningful if std::numeric_limits<T>::has_quiet_NaN == true. In IEEE 754, the most common binary representation of floating-point numbers, any value with all bits of the exponent set and at least one bit of the fraction set represents a NaN. It is implementation-defined which values of the fraction represent quiet or singaling NaNs, and whether the sign bit is meaningful.

[edit] Return value

[edit] Exceptions

[edit] Notes

A NaN never compares equal to itself. Copying a NaN may not preserve its bit representation.

[edit] Example

Several ways to generate a NaN (the output string is compiler-specific)

#include <iostream>
#include <limits>
#include <cmath>
int main()
{
    std::cout << std::numeric_limits<double>::quiet_NaN() << ' '
              << std::numeric_limits<double>::signaling_NaN() << ' '
              << std::acos(2) << ' '
              << std::tgamma(-1) << ' '
              << std::log(-1) << ' '
              << std::sqrt(-1) << ' '
              << 0 / 0.0 << '\n';
 
    std::cout << "NaN == NaN? " << std::boolalpha
              << ( std::numeric_limits<double>::quiet_NaN()
                   == std::numeric_limits<double>::quiet_NaN() ) << '\n';
}

Output:

nan nan nan nan nan -nan -nan
NaN == NaN? false

[edit] See also