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R Numbers

R handles numeric values in different ways, and understanding how numbers work is essential for data analysis. R numbers can be divided into the following categories:

Key Topics

1. Numeric Values

In R, numeric values are numbers with or without decimals. By default, numbers in R are treated as numeric (or double precision).

# Example of numeric values
num1 <- 10.75
num2 <- 3.5
sum <- num1 + num2
print(sum)

Output:

[1] 14.25

Code Explanation: num1 and num2 are numeric values. The sum is calculated and printed, showing 14.25.

2. Integer Values

Integer values in R are whole numbers. You need to use the L suffix to specify an integer explicitly.

# Example of integer values
int1 <- 5L
int2 <- 15L
product <- int1 * int2
print(product)

Output:

[1] 75

Code Explanation: int1 and int2 are integers, specified with the L suffix. Their product is calculated and printed as 75.

3. Special Values (Inf, -Inf, NaN)

R has special numeric values: Inf (Infinity), -Inf (Negative Infinity), and NaN (Not a Number).

# Examples of special values
value1 <- 1 / 0    # Inf
value2 <- -1 / 0   # -Inf
value3 <- 0 / 0    # NaN
print(value1)
print(value2)
print(value3)

Output:

[1] Inf
[1] -Inf
[1] NaN

Code Explanation: value1 is Inf (Infinity) because dividing a number by zero results in infinity. value2 is -Inf (Negative Infinity). value3 is NaN (Not a Number) because dividing zero by zero is undefined.

Key Takeaways

  • R handles both decimal (numeric) and whole numbers (integer).
  • Use the L suffix to specify an integer explicitly.
  • R provides special values: Inf, -Inf, and NaN to handle mathematical edge cases.
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