integer to the power larger integer = infinity

i entered in Matlab command window the folowing values 65^171 and i got the result infinity (Inf)...why is it so? why Matlab not showing larger integer results. if there is any setting in Matlab for this to rectify please let me know.

Answer 1

[Jan]

Ask Wolfram: http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=65^171

Decimal approximation: 1.0190E310

realmax   % >> 1.7977e308

Numbers greater than REALMAX are Inf.

Answer 2

[Sean de Wolski]

The limits of ieee754 floating point.

Use John's VPI: http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/22725-variable-precision-integer-arithmetic