The mathematical symbol used to represent infinity is the infinity symbol: ∞. It is also called a lemniscate or "lazy eight" because of its shape resembling a horizontal figure eight. This symbol was introduced by the English mathematician John Wallis in 1655 and has since been widely used in mathematics to denote the concept of something unbounded or limitless
. In mathematical notation, the infinity symbol is encoded in Unicode as
U+221E and in LaTeX as \infty
. It is commonly used in limits, infinite series, and other contexts where values grow without bound or processes continue indefinitely
. To summarize:
- Symbol: ∞
- Unicode: U+221E
- LaTeX:
\infty - Meaning: Represents the concept of infinity, something unbounded or limitless
- Introduced by: John Wallis in 1655
This symbol is distinct from other similar-looking symbols and is primarily used to represent potential infinity in mathematics, such as in limits and infinite sums
