In plot.window(…) : nonfinite axis limits [GScale(-inf,1,1, .); log=1]

In plot.window(…) : nonfinite axis limits [GScale(-inf,1,1, .); log=1], Understanding and Fixing Log-Scale Axis Limits in R Plots

When working with log-scale plots in R, you might encounter warning messages like:

Warning messages:
In plot.window(…) : nonfinite axis limits [GScale(-inf,1,1, .); log=1]

This can be confusing at first, especially if you’re trying to manually set axis limits with xlim and ylim.

In plot.window(…) : nonfinite axis limits [GScale(-inf,1,1, .); log=1]

In this article, we’ll explore why these warnings occur and how to properly specify axis limits for log-scale plots in base R.

Why Do These Warnings Occur?

Suppose you want to create a plot with logarithmic axes and set custom limits, like so:

plot(1:10, log = "xy", xlim = c(0, 10), ylim = c(0, 10))

You might expect this to work smoothly, but instead, R throws warning messages:

Warning messages:
In plot.window(…) : nonfinite axis limits [GScale(-inf,1,1, .); log=1]

The core issue here is setting the lower axis limits to zero (0) on a logarithmic scale.

Since the log of zero is undefined (minus infinity), R interprets this as an invalid limit, causing the warning and resulting in a plot that doesn’t display as expected.

How to Correctly Set Limits on Log-Scale Plots

Key Point: When plotting on a log scale, all axis limits must be positive numbers greater than zero. Zero or negative values are invalid because their logarithm is undefined.

Example 1: Reproducing the Warning

Here’s an example that triggers the warning:

plot(1:10, log = "xy", xlim = c(0, 10), ylim = c(0, 10))

The lower limits (0) cause the warning because log(0) is undefined.

Example 2: Fixing the Warning

To fix this, set the xlim and ylim to values slightly above zero:

plot(1:10,
     log = "xy",
     xlim = c(0.001, 10),
     ylim = c(0.001, 10))

This way, the limits are positive, and R can properly compute the logarithm of these bounds.

Best Practices for Log-Scale Plot Limits

• Always set xlim and ylim to positive values greater than zero.
• Avoid using zero or negative numbers for limits on log-scale plots.
• Choose a small positive number (like 0.001) to represent limits close to zero if needed.

Summary

When creating log-scale plots in R:

• Invalid: xlim = c(0, 10) or ylim = c(0, 10)
• Valid: xlim = c(0.001, 10) and ylim = c(0.001, 10)

By following these guidelines, you’ll prevent warning messages and ensure your plots display correctly.

Want to see this in action? Try adjusting your axis limits as shown above, and enjoy clear, warning-free log-scale visualizations in R!

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