# typemax(Float64) and typemin(Float64) returns Inf and -Inf in 1.0.0

**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/typemax-float64-and-typemin-float64-returns-inf-and-inf-in-1-0-0/15256
**Category:** Internals & Design
**Created:** [September 20, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/typemax-float64-and-typemin-float64-returns-inf-and-inf-in-1-0-0/15256 "2018-09-20T22:52:41Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mwsohn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mwsohn/32/2696_2.png) [@mwsohn](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mwsohn)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/typemax-float64-and-typemin-float64-returns-inf-and-inf-in-1-0-0/15256/1 "2018-09-20T22:52:41Z")

</div>

These are not informative. Is this by design or are there alternatives?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![StefanKarpinski](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stefankarpinski/32/24_2.png) [@StefanKarpinski](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/StefanKarpinski)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/typemax-float64-and-typemin-float64-returns-inf-and-inf-in-1-0-0/15256/2 "2018-09-20T22:59:05Z")

</div>

It has always been like this. What values would you want?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mschauer](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mschauer/32/13946_2.png) [@mschauer](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mschauer)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/typemax-float64-and-typemin-float64-returns-inf-and-inf-in-1-0-0/15256/3 "2018-09-20T23:28:03Z")

</div>

Presumably you care about the maximal (minimal) finite value,

```julia
julia> floatmax(Float64)
1.7976931348623157e308

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mwsohn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mwsohn/32/2696_2.png) [@mwsohn](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mwsohn)
#### Post date: [September 21, 2018, 12:20am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/typemax-float64-and-typemin-float64-returns-inf-and-inf-in-1-0-0/15256/4 "2018-09-21T00:20:59Z")

</div>

This was the answer I was looking for.

Thank you.