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Questions and Answers
What is recursion?
What is recursion?
A process where a function calls itself once or multiple times to solve a problem.
Which type of recursion calls itself only once each time it is invoked?
Which type of recursion calls itself only once each time it is invoked?
What can lead to infinite recursion?
What can lead to infinite recursion?
Recursive calls require more memory than iterative loops.
Recursive calls require more memory than iterative loops.
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What is the main difference between recursion and iteration?
What is the main difference between recursion and iteration?
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What is an example of binary recursion?
What is an example of binary recursion?
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What is mutual recursion?
What is mutual recursion?
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Study Notes
Recursion Fundamentals
- Recursion involves a function calling itself either directly or indirectly to solve problems.
- Direct recursion: A method calls itself directly.
- Indirect recursion: A method invokes another method, which eventually calls the original method.
- Infinite recursion occurs when a recursive function lacks a stopping condition.
Requirements for Recursive Algorithms
- Must have a base case that halts the recursion process.
- State must change towards reaching the base case, modifying some data used by the algorithm.
- The function must call itself recursively.
Types of Recursion
- Linear Recursion: The function calls itself once per invocation. Example: Finding the factorial of a number.
- Tail Recursion: The recursive call is the last operation in the function. Example: Finding the greatest common divisor of two non-zero integers.
- Binary Recursion: The function calls itself twice during its execution. Example: Fibonacci series computation.
- Mutual Recursion: Functions call each other in pairs or groups. Example: Determining if an integer is even or odd.
Recursion vs. Iteration
-
Recursion:
- Terminates upon reaching a base case.
- Requires additional memory for each recursive call, which may lead to stack overflow if infinite.
- Recursive solutions are often more intuitive and simpler to formulate for certain problems.
-
Iteration:
- Ends when a specific condition is false.
- Does not consume extra memory for each iteration, which can lead to infinite loops.
- Iterative solutions may not always be as straightforward as their recursive counterparts.
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Description
This quiz covers the fundamentals of recursion, specifically focusing on types such as linear recursion. You'll explore how functions invoke themselves, using examples like factorial calculation. Enhance your understanding of recursive processes in programming.
