is a symbol that represents a numerical quantity whose magnitude cannot be determined.
Indeterminate
is a symbol that represents a numerical quantity whose magnitude cannot be determined.
Details
- Computations like generate Indeterminate .
- If Indeterminate appears in the argument of any function with attribute NumericFunction , the result will be Indeterminate . »
- A message is produced whenever an operation first yields Indeterminate as a result.
Examples
open all close allBasic Examples (2)
Indeterminate is returned when a value cannot be unambiguously defined:
Any numeric function of Indeterminate also gives Indeterminate :
Scope (3)
Indeterminate "takes over" any function with attribute NumericFunction :
Negative precision/accuracy can yield Indeterminate :
Infinity in an unknown direction:
Generalizations & Extensions (1)
Mathematical operations with Indeterminate produce Indeterminate :
Indeterminate threads over lists:
Applications (1)
Digits beyond the limit of precision are Indeterminate :
Create a number of lower precision:
Properties & Relations (1)
Indeterminate is not a number:
It is neither real nor complex:
Possible Issues (5)
The value cannot be unambiguously defined:
Use Limit to resolve the value:
The answer is valid for generic parameter values:
This particular parameter value gives an Indeterminate result:
Use Limit to resolve the value:
Each iteration will result in lower precision:
In this case an equivalent function does not lower precision:
Sometimes a higher precision is needed:
Indeterminate does not equal itself:
Use SameQ for testing against Indeterminate :
Indeterminate in functions with special evaluation semantics might go undetected:
Tech Notes
Related Guides
Related Links
History
Introduced in 1988 (1.0)
Text
Wolfram Research (1988), Indeterminate, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Indeterminate.html.
CMS
Wolfram Language. 1988. "Indeterminate." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Indeterminate.html.
APA
Wolfram Language. (1988). Indeterminate. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Indeterminate.html
BibTeX
@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_indeterminate, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Indeterminate}", year="1988", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Indeterminate.html}", note=[Accessed: 23-November-2025]}
BibLaTeX
@online{reference.wolfram_2025_indeterminate, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Indeterminate}, year={1988}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Indeterminate.html}, note=[Accessed: 23-November-2025]}