What is OverflowError and reasons for it

Introduction

In this blog, we would discuss What is OverflowError and the reasons for it. OverflowError is an error that occurs when a calculation results in a number outside of the range that can be represented by the data type being used. For example, if an int data type is being used, an OverflowError would occur if the result of a calculation is a number greater than 2,147,483,647 or less than -2,147,483,648.  An overflow error can occur when trying to store a value that is too large for the available space. This can happen when using certain data types that have a limited range. Overflow errors can also occur when performing arithmetic operations.

For example, if a program tries to add two very large numbers together, the result may be too large to fit into the available space. This would cause an overflow error. Overflow errors can be difficult to debug because they can sometimes cause the program to crash unexpectedly. When this happens, it is often hard to tell what the cause of the error was.

Reasons for the OverflowError

The reason for overflow error is when a calculation exceeds the maximum capacity for a numeric type. This can happen when attempting to store a number that is too large for the allotted space, or when performing a calculation that produces a result outside the range of the data type.

Examples

import math

math.exp(1000)

If you try running the above code you will get the overflow exception.

To avoid this error, you can use try and catch block.

import math

try:
    print(math.exp(1000))
except OverflowError as oe:
    print(oe)

OverflowError can also occur when a value is converted to an integer, and the result is too large to be stored in an integer type.

For example, converting a float with a value of 1.763528018735272027982e+3082 to an int will result in an OverflowError.

a=1.763528018735272027982e+3082
int(a)

Also, read – What is a TypeError?