JavaScript Highest Integer Value

JavaScript is a powerful language, but sometimes it behaves weirdly, especially when dealing with numbers. One thing that every developer should understand is how JavaScript handles large integers and where its precision starts to break down. In this blog, we will explore the highest integer value that JavaScript handles safely without losing precision and ways to handle large integers correctly.

Table of Contents:

• JavaScript Number System
• Highest Safe Integer in JavaScript
• The Problem of Precision Loss
• How to Handle Large Integers Correctly
  • Using BigInt
• Comparing Number And BigInt
• Best Practices
• Conclusion

JavaScript Number System

JavaScript uses the IEEE 754 standard for floating-point arithmetic, which means all numbers in JavaScript are represented as 64-bit floating-point values. JavaScript’s number system works well in most cases, but it fails in large numbers or very big numbers.

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Highest Safe Integer in JavaScript

In JavaScript, the largest integer number that can be represented without losing precision is defined as Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER. The value is 9007199254740991 or (2⁵³ – 1). You can check this in your browser by writing this code:

Syntax:

console.log(Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER);

This number represents the last integer that can be accurately represented by JavaScript. Beyond this point, adding or subtracting integers may result in unexpected behavior due to precision loss.

The Problem of Precision Loss

Once you exceed the Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER value. JavaScript cannot produce accurate results now. Let’s understand this with the help of an example:

Example:

Output:

Explanation: In both cases, the same result is produced, which is not true. This is the problem of precision loss. You might expect 9007199254740993, but JavaScript prints the same output for each statement.

A similar result is produced if you do a comparison of the numbers that exceed the Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER value. 

Example:

Output:

Explanation: In this example, JavaScript prints true as output and thinks num1 and num2 are equal. It was because both num1 and num2 are lies beyond MAX_SAFE_INTEGER.

How to Handle Large Integers Correctly

If you need to work with numbers larger than MAX_SAFE_INTEGER, then you can use BigInt in place of Number. Let’s understand with the help of an example:

Using BigInt 

BigInt is a new primitive datatype in JavaScript that allows for arbitrary-precision integers. To create a BigInt, simply append n to the number.

Example:

Output:

Explanation: With BigInt, JavaScript is now able to handle numbers which is much larger than MAX_SAFE_INTEGER without losing precision.

Comparing Number And BigInt

Here is a comparison between Number and BigInt that helps you to work with values higher than the MAX_SAFE_INTEGER without precision loss:

Best Practices

Here are some of the best practices that you need to follow while working with large integers in JavaScript:

• Use Number when working with the regular numerical calculations within MAX_SAFE_INTEGER.
• Use BigInt when handling very large integers where exact precision is required.
• While working with very large numbers in JavaScript, you need to be careful because comparison might not work as expected.

Conclusion

JavaScript Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER is used to get the highest integer up to which you can perform mathematical calculations without any loss in precision. Understanding this limitation is essential to avoid unexpected bugs, especially in applications involving financial transactions, cryptography, and large data collections. If you’re working beyond the MAX_SAFE_INTEGER, then BigInt is a safer alternative to ensure accuracy.

JavaScript Highest Integer Value – FAQs