Exponentiation (**) in JavaScript

In mathematics, exponentiation is a way to multiply a number by itself a certain number of times (or phrased differently, to the power of the second operand).

In JavaScript, the exponentiation operator is represented by two asterisks (**).

It's also a more concise and readable alternative to the older Math.pow() method.

How to Use It?

Here's the basic format:

base ** exponent

• base is the number you want to multiply.
• exponent is the number of times you want to multiply the base by itself.

Example:

2 ** 3 // This equals 8 because 2 multiplied by itself 3 times is 2 * 2 * 2 = 8.

More examples 🧠

• 3 ** 2 will give you 9 because 3 multiplied by itself is 9.
• 5 ** 3 will give you 125 because 5 multiplied by itself 3 times is 125.
• 10 ** 0 will give you 1 because any number raised to the power of 0 is always 1.

Math.pow()

In case you haven't used it in JavaScript, before exponential operators, we used the Math.pow() method to calculate powers.

For example:

Math.pow(2, 3) // This also equals 8.

But I think with the ** operator, the code becomes shorter and more readable.

Tips:

• If you use a negative exponent, the result will be a fraction. For example, 2 ** -3 is 1/8.
• Always remember the order: the base comes before the **, and the exponent comes after.
• Unlike Math.pow(), the exponential operator allows you to use BigInt values.

Happy coding! 🪄