# Value NaN of a variable

**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/value-nan-of-a-variable/14220
**Category:** Beginners
**Created:** [September 26, 2019, 4:01pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/value-nan-of-a-variable/14220 "2019-09-26T16:01:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
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### Author: ![quark](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.processing.org/quark/32/26_2.png) [@quark](https://discourse.processing.org/u/quark)
#### Post date: [September 26, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/value-nan-of-a-variable/14220/3 "2019-09-26T18:28:11Z")

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Lets assume you are talking about a `float`. In Java a `float` is stored in 4 bytes of memory that’s 32 bits, since each bit can be 0 or 1 that gives us 4294967296 different combinations to encode a floating point number. Not all those combinations represent a valid floating point number hence **Not a Number** or `NaN`

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