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    43 - Data Structure - Recursion Basics

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    Data Structure - Recursion Basics in c++

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    43 - Data Structure - Recursion Basics

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    laraib
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    Data Structure - Recursion Basics in c++

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    43_Data Structure - Recursion Basics

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    Data Structure - Recursion Basics in c++

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    4 views5 pages

    43 - Data Structure - Recursion Basics

    Uploaded by

    laraib
    Data Structure - Recursion Basics in c++

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Data Structure - Recursion Basics

    Bhabani Shankar Pradhan


    Some computer programming languages allow a module or function to call
    itself. This technique is known as recursion. In recursion, a function α either
    calls itself directly or calls a function β that in turn calls the original function α.
    The function α is called recursive function.

    Example − a function calling itself.

    int function(int value) {

    if(value < 1)

    return;

    function(value - 1);

    printf("%d ",value);

    Example − a function that calls another function which in turn calls it again.

    int function1(int value1) {

    if(value1 < 1)

    return;

    function2(value1 - 1);

    printf("%d ",value1);

    int function2(int value2) {

    function1(value2);
    }

    Properties

    A recursive function can go infinite like a loop. To avoid infinite running of


    recursive function, there are two properties that a recursive function must
    have −

     Base criteria − There must be at least one base criteria or condition,


    such that, when this condition is met the function stops calling itself
    recursively.

     Progressive approach − The recursive calls should progress in such a


    way that each time a recursive call is made it comes closer to the base
    criteria.

    Implementation

    Many programming languages implement recursion by means of stacks.


    Generally, whenever a function (caller) calls another function (callee) or itself
    as callee, the caller function transfers execution control to the callee. This
    transfer process may also involve some data to be passed from the caller to
    the callee.

    This implies, the caller function has to suspend its execution temporarily and
    resume later when the execution control returns from the callee function. Here,
    the caller function needs to start exactly from the point of execution where it
    puts itself on hold. It also needs the exact same data values it was working on.
    For this purpose, an activation record (or stack frame) is created for the caller
    function.
    This activation record keeps the information about local variables, formal
    parameters, return address and all information passed to the caller function.

    Analysis of Recursion

    One may argue why to use recursion, as the same task can be done with
    iteration. The first reason is, recursion makes a program more readable and
    because of latest enhanced CPU systems, recursion is more efficient than
    iterations.

    Time Complexity

    In case of iterations, we take number of iterations to count the time


    complexity. Likewise, in case of recursion, assuming everything is constant,
    we try to figure out the number of times a recursive call is being made. A call
    made to a function is Ο(1), hence the (n) number of times a recursive call is
    made makes the recursive function Ο(n).

    Space Complexity

    Space complexity is counted as what amount of extra space is required for a


    module to execute. In case of iterations, the compiler hardly requires any extra
    space. The compiler keeps updating the values of variables used in the
    iterations. But in case of recursion, the system needs to store activation
    record each time a recursive call is made. Hence, it is considered that space
    complexity of recursive function may go higher than that of a function with
    iteration.

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