Answer:
The basic difference between finite and infinite is the number of times it runs and ends. The loop is basically a set of instructions that keeps repeating itself.
The finite loop ends after running for a finite times. This body of finite loop will stop executing after certain condition is reached. Hence the finite loop body keeps executing itself finite number of times.
An infinite loop keeps running and repeating itself endlessly.This loop never ends. This loop can be the result of an error in a program. For example when no stopping or exit condition is specified in the program.
Explanation:
Example of finite loop:
Lets take for loop as an example:
for(int i =0; i<=5; i++)
{ cout<<i<<endl; }
Now the loop starts from i=0
Next it enters the body of loop to execute the statement: cout<<i; which means that the value of i is displayed on the output screen.
This loop keeps executing until the value of i exceeds 5.
At first iteration 0 is printed on the output screen, at second iteration 1, at third iteration 2, at fourth iteration 3, fifth iteration 4, sixth iteration 5. After each of these iterations, the value of i is incremented by 1.
When 5 is printed, then at the next iteration the specified condition i.e. i<=5 gets false as the value of i now becomes 6 after incremented by 1.
So the loop stops running. So this means that loop ran for finite times and stopped after the a certain condition is reached. The output is:
0
1
2
3
4
5
Example of infinite loop:
Lets take while loop:
int i = 6;
while (i >=5)
{ cout<< i;
i++; }
In the above example, the loop will run infinite times. Here the value of i is initialized to 6. Then while loop is used which checks the condition which is the value of i is greater than or equal to 5. If the condition is true, the body of the loop starts executing which prints the value of i. Lets see what happens at each iteration:
1st iteration: i>=5 is True because i=6 and 6 is greater than 5. The program control enters the body of loop. The statement cout<<i prints 6. Next the value of i is incremented by 1 and it becomes 7.
2nd iteration: i>=5 is True because i=7 and 7 is greater than 5. The program control enters the body of loop. The statement cout<<i prints 7. Next the value of i is incremented by 1 and it becomes 8.
This loop will repeat itself infinite times and never stops as i will always have value greater than 5. So this is the example of infinite loop.
