Infinity Symbol and Related Characters

How to use the infinity symbol

1. Find the infinity symbol or related character you need in the groups above.
2. Click the character to copy it directly to your clipboard. Hover a character to see its Unicode name.
3. Paste it into your document, message, code editor or social media post.
4. Use the reference table below if you need the Alt code, HTML entity or Unicode value instead.

What the Infinity Symbol Means

The infinity symbol looks like a figure eight turned on its side. English mathematician John Wallis introduced it in 1655 to represent an unbounded quantity. The word comes from the Latin infinitas, meaning boundlessness. In calculus, limits approach infinity when a function grows without bound. In set theory, infinite sets such as the natural numbers have cardinalities described by transfinite numbers. Outside mathematics, the sign appears in jewelry, tattoos and logos to convey eternity or endless possibility.

How to Type the Infinity Symbol

You can enter the infinity symbol on every major operating system and in web markup. Here are the exact methods:

• Windows: Hold Alt and type 236 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Alternatively, open Character Map, search for "infinity" and copy it.
• Mac: Press Option + 5. This shortcut works in most macOS applications including TextEdit, Pages and browsers.
• Linux: Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 221e, then press Enter. This uses the standard GTK/Qt Unicode input method.
• HTML: Use the named entity ∞ or the numeric reference ∞ or ∞.
• LaTeX: Type \infty inside math mode, for example $\infty$.

For other characters on this page, use their Unicode code point with the same OS-level input methods. Replace 221e with the hex value from the reference table, or look the character up by name in Character Map or the Mac Character Viewer.

Reference Table of Common Codes

This table covers the most frequently requested infinity symbols and their encoding values across platforms.

When a cell is blank, there is no single built-in shortcut for that platform. Use the Unicode hex input method described above instead.

Lemniscates, Loops and Related Shapes

A lemniscate is any curve shaped like a figure eight or the infinity sign. The term comes from the Greek word for ribbon. In algebraic geometry, the lemniscate of Bernoulli is defined by the equation (x^2 + y^2)^2 = a^2(x^2 - y^2). Besides the real infinity signs, Unicode has the Latin letters OO (ꝏ) and the transfinite alef (ℵ). Some characters from other scripts, such as the Cham punctuation spiral (꩜) and the Thai digit zero (๐), have loop shapes, but they are not infinity signs and carry different meanings. The page groups them separately for that reason.

If you need decorative or stylized text rather than mathematical notation, see our collection of aesthetic symbols. For formal operators beyond those listed here, the dedicated math symbols page covers a broader range of equations and set notation.

Common Mistakes When Using Infinity Characters

Several errors appear frequently when people work with infinity symbols in code or documents:

• Using Alt+236 without a numeric keypad. Laptop keyboards often lack a dedicated number pad. On these machines, enable Num Lock with the Fn key or use the Character Map utility instead.
• Confusing the permanent paper sign (♾) with the mathematical infinity (∞). They look similar but have different Unicode code points (U+267E vs U+221E). U+267E is also an emoji-capable character, so phones and some browsers draw it as a colour emoji; use ∞ (U+221E) when you need a plain text glyph. Screen readers and search engines treat them as distinct characters.
• Encoding mismatches. If your HTML file is not saved as UTF-8, pasting the raw infinity character may render as a question mark or garbled text. Always declare <meta charset="UTF-8"> or use the HTML entity ∞.
• Font support. Some older or minimal fonts do not include the infinity glyph. If the character shows as a blank box, switch to a font with broad Unicode coverage such as Arial, Segoe UI, Noto Sans or DejaVu Sans.

Where the Infinity Symbol Is Used

Beyond pure mathematics, the infinity sign appears in many practical contexts. In physics, it denotes idealized quantities such as infinite resistance or an infinitely long wire in electromagnetism problems. In computer science, floating-point standards like IEEE 754 define positive and negative infinity as special values returned by division by zero or overflow operations. Programmers can access these via constants like Infinity in JavaScript or float('inf') in Python.

In typography and graphic design, the lemniscate serves as a motif for logos, wedding invitations and branding that communicates permanence. Photographers use it on lens barrels to mark the infinity focus distance. For other specialized typographic marks, you might also explore currency symbols or Greek letters commonly paired with scientific notation.

Worked examples