# Numeric Values

**Numbers** in Internet Object provide accurate numerical representation for various applications, from simple counting to complex financial calculations. Internet Object supports three distinct numeric data types—**Number**, **BigInt**, and **Decimal**—each designed to meet different numerical requirements in modern applications.

## Number Types

* [**Number**](https://docs.internetobject.org/the-structure/values/number/number) (64-bit floating-point): Standard IEEE 754 double-precision numbers, ideal for general-purpose calculations and fractional values.
* [**BigInt**](https://docs.internetobject.org/the-structure/values/number/bigint): Arbitrary-precision integers for extremely large whole numbers that exceed 64-bit limitations.
* [**Decimal**](https://docs.internetobject.org/the-structure/values/number/decimal): Fixed-precision decimal values with exact arithmetic, essential for financial calculations and applications requiring precise decimal representation.

## Number Formats

Internet Object supports various number formats. The table below distinguishes between decimal integers and regular (floating-point) numbers, and provides recommendations:

> **Note:** Bases other than decimal (base 10)—that is, binary (base 2), octal (base 8), and hexadecimal (base 16)—can only represent integers, not fractional or decimal values. For non-integer values, use decimal (base 10) or scientific notation.

| Format                    | Supported Types | Recommendation/Use Case                                                                                                         |
| ------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Decimal integer (base 10) | Number, BigInt  | BigInt: large integers, Number: general-purpose integers                                                                        |
| Decimal (floating-point)  | Number, Decimal | Decimal: financial/precise decimals, Number: general-purpose decimals                                                           |
| Binary (base 2)           | Number, BigInt  | BigInt: large binary integers, Number: general binary values                                                                    |
| Octal (base 8)            | Number, BigInt  | BigInt: large octal integers, Number: general octal values                                                                      |
| Hexadecimal (base 16)     | Number, BigInt  | BigInt: large hex integers, Number: general hex values                                                                          |
| Scientific notation       | Number, Decimal | Decimal: precise scientific/financial, Number: general scientific                                                               |
| Special values            | Number only     | [NaN and Infinity](https://docs.internetobject.org/the-structure/values/number/nan-and-infinity) for undefined/infinite results |

## Type Identification

Each number type uses a distinct suffix for identification:

```ruby
42          # Number (standard floating-point)
42n         # BigInt (arbitrary-precision integer)
42.50m      # Decimal (fixed-precision decimal)
```

## Special Numeric Values

See [**Special Numeric Values: NaN and Infinity**](https://docs.internetobject.org/the-structure/values/number/nan-and-infinity) for details on undefined and infinite results (supported only by Number).

> **Note**: Alternative base formats (binary, octal, hexadecimal) are documented within each number type specification.

## Type Selection Guide

| Use Case             | Recommended Type | Reason                                 |
| -------------------- | ---------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| General calculations | Number           | Standard performance and compatibility |
| Financial amounts    | Decimal          | Exact precision, no rounding errors    |
| Large counters/IDs   | BigInt           | No precision limits for integers       |
| Scientific notation  | Number           | Built-in floating-point support        |
| Cryptographic values | BigInt           | Handles arbitrarily large integers     |

> **Note**: The term "decimal" is used in two contexts:
>
> * **Decimal (base-10)**: The common numeral system used by all number types
> * **Decimal (data type)**: A specific fixed-precision type for exact arithmetic

## See Also

* [Values](https://docs.internetobject.org/the-structure/values) - Overview of all Internet Object value types
* [Schema for Numbers](https://docs.internetobject.org/schema-definition-language/data-types/number) - Number validation and constraints