DIV

Perform integer division, truncating the quotient toward zero.

Syntax

DIV(a, b)

Description

## Overview Returns the integer quotient of a divided by b, truncating toward zero. DIV is the explicit integer-division primitive for dialects where the / operator may return a DECIMAL or DOUBLE even with integer operands. Use it when you want the quotient alone, with no remainder and no implicit type promotion. DIV pairs naturally with MOD: for any valid a and b, a = DIV(a, b) * b + MOD(a, b). For the non-negative remainder companion, use PMOD. ## Behavior - Accepts INTEGER, BIGINT, or DECIMAL for both arguments. - Returns a value of the promoted integer type. - Returns NULL if either argument is NULL. - Raises a division-by-zero error when b is 0. - Truncates toward zero: DIV(-10, 3) = -3, not -4. - DIV(a, 1) equals FLOOR(a) for non-negative a and equals a for exact integers. ## Numeric precision - For integer inputs, DIV is exact. - For DECIMAL inputs, DIV truncates the quotient to an integer; it does not preserve fractional digits. - Unlike MOD, DIV never returns a fractional remainder. ## Compatibility - DIV follows the PostgreSQL integer-division convention (truncation toward zero). - In SQL dialects where / between integers already truncates, DIV is a synonym for /.

Parameters

Name	Type	Description
a		Specifies the dividend. Accepts INTEGER, BIGINT, or DECIMAL values.
b		Specifies the divisor. Must be non-zero; a division-by-zero error is raised if this value is 0.

Examples

-- Basic integer division
SELECT DIV(10, 3);  -- 3

-- Negative dividend truncates toward zero
SELECT DIV(-10, 3);  -- -3

-- Negative divisor
SELECT DIV(10, -3);  -- -3

-- Exact division
SELECT DIV(9, 3);  -- 3

-- Division of zero by a non-zero value
SELECT DIV(0, 5);  -- 0

-- NULL propagation
SELECT DIV(NULL, 3);  -- NULL

Pitfalls

• DIV truncates toward zero, not toward negative infinity. DIV(-7, 2) = -3, not -4. Use FLOOR(a::DOUBLE / b) if you want the floored integer division.
• DIV raises a division-by-zero error when the divisor is zero, unlike MOD which returns NULL in many engines. Guard with NULLIF(b, 0) if your data can contain zero.
• Integer overflow can occur: DIV of BIGINT minimum by -1 overflows because the positive counterpart is out of range. Validate upstream when signed minimum values can appear.
• DIV does not return a fractional part. If you need a true decimal quotient, cast at least one operand to DECIMAL or DOUBLE before the divide: a::DECIMAL / b.
• Pairing DIV with MOD requires the same truncation convention. a = DIV(a, b) * b + MOD(a, b) holds for MOD with truncated semantics; if your engine uses a floored MOD, the identity breaks.

See Also

• mod
• pmod
• width_bucket
• factorial
• floor