What is an infinite loop?

An infinite loop is defined as a loop that never terminates, meaning it continues to execute indefinitely without reaching an end condition. This occurs if the loop's terminating condition is never met or if there is no condition provided at all. Infinite loops can be intentional, such as in server programs where continuous processing is required, or unintentional, often leading to application crashes or system overloads when a programmer inadvertently creates a condition that fails to provide a way to exit the loop.

For example, a loop that is structured to repeat while a variable is less than a certain value can become infinite if that variable is never updated within the loop, preventing it from eventually reaching that condition. Understanding infinite loops is crucial in programming, as they can hinder the performance of software and lead to errors in execution.