What happens when you divide both the dividend and the divisor in floating-point division by zero?

In floating-point arithmetic, when you attempt to divide a non-zero dividend by zero, the result is mathematically undefined. In computing, this situation is represented as "Not a Number" (NaN).

Dividing by zero does not yield a traditional result such as 0, infinity, or a negative value because those values suggest a definable numerical answer, while the operation itself does not allow for any valid numerical representation. This approach aligns with the IEEE 754 standard for floating-point arithmetic, which specifically states that such operations should result in NaN to indicate that the output is not a valid number.

If you divide both the dividend and the divisor by zero simultaneously, the core issue remains the same, leading to the conclusion that the outcome is not a usable numerical value, hence the result is "Not a Number."