Working with large numbers was always a problem for any programmer – no one enjoys doing math operations using numbers stored in arrays, but once .NET Framework 4 came out it also included a new type BigInteger.
It’s inside structure is similar to an array of int – so it’s immutable (this means memory will be reallocated each time) but the main advantage is that it is not limited to a minimum or maximum value – so it will take as much memory as it needs.
Then add to your source:
Now you can use BigInteger in your program.
Here I wrote a small example demonstrating that it’s actually unlimited – the following program calculates the powers of 2, using a BigInteger.
It’s inside structure is similar to an array of int – so it’s immutable (this means memory will be reallocated each time) but the main advantage is that it is not limited to a minimum or maximum value – so it will take as much memory as it needs.
1. Add a reference
To be able to use it, you need to add a reference: References from Solution Explorer -> Add Reference -> .NET and look for System.Numerics.Then add to your source:
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using System.Numerics;
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2. How to use it
Even if BigInteger is a ‘new’ data type, it is perfectly compatible with the other numeric classes – but the number will be stored as an integer.Here I wrote a small example demonstrating that it’s actually unlimited – the following program calculates the powers of 2, using a BigInteger.
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using System;
using System.Numerics;
namespace powers
{
class Program
{
static void Main(string[] args)
{
BigInteger n = 1;
while (true)
{
Console.WriteLine(n);
n *= 2;
//the next line is optional, it just slows down the process
System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(20);
}
}
}
}
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