How to use the num2str function on too large numbers.

I would like to use the num2str function on a very large number. But the number is too large, and causes overflow in MATLAB; it evaluates to Inf. Is there a way to circumvent this? (I use the MATLAB application via tablet).

(The number in question is

73167176531330624919225119674426574742355349194934 96983520312774506326239578318016984801869478851843 85861560789112949495459501737958331952853208805511 12540698747158523863050715693290963295227443043557 66896648950445244523161731856403098711121722383113 62229893423380308135336276614282806444486645238749 30358907296290491560440772390713810515859307960866 70172427121883998797908792274921901699720888093776 65727333001053367881220235421809751254540594752243 52584907711670556013604839586446706324415722155397 53697817977846174064955149290862569321978468622482 83972241375657056057490261407972968652414535100474 82166370484403199890008895243450658541227588666881 16427171479924442928230863465674813919123162824586 17866458359124566529476545682848912883142607690042 24219022671055626321111109370544217506941658960408 07198403850962455444362981230987879927244284909188 84580156166097919133875499200524063689912560717606 05886116467109405077541002256983155200055935729725 71636269561882670428252483600823257530420752963450 )

[Jan]

Where did you get this number from? Is this a sting already or a VPA value?

[Ralf Mackenbach]

I inputted it as an VPA, but I totally overlooked the fact that I can just as well store it as a string. Thanks!

Answer 1

[Steven Lord]

If this number is stored as a sym object, use the char function to create a char array representing that number.

If this number is stored as a char array, you're done -- num2str would create a char array from a number, but you already have the char array.

If you have this number defined in your MATLAB code, by the time you call num2str it's too late. It is much too large to store in a double precision value, so as soon as that line is executed the value is stored as Inf. The maximum finite value you can store in a double precision variable is:

realmax
ans =
  1.7977e+308

Your value is about 7e+999.

[Ralf Mackenbach]

Hi Steven,

Thanks! Totally overlooked the fact that I could just store it as a char array directly #tunnelvision.