Custom Search

Courses Login

Write an Article
Menu


Recursion

What is Recursion?
The process in which a function calls itself directly or indirectly is called recursion and the corresponding function is called as
recursive function. Using recursive algorithm, certain problems can be solved quite easily. Examples of such problems are Towers
of Hanoi (TOH), Inorder/Preorder/Postorder Tree Traversals, DFS of Graph, etc.

What is base condition in recursion?

In recursive program, the solution to base case is provided and solution of bigger problem is expressed in terms of smaller
problems.

int fact(int n)
{
if (n < = 1) // base case
return 1;
else
return n*fact(n-1);
}

In the above example, base case for n < = 1 is de ned and larger value of number can be solved by converting to smaller one till
base case is reached.

How a particular problem is solved using recursion?

The idea is represent a problem in terms of one or more smaller problems, and add one or more base conditions that stop
recursion. For example, we compute factorial n if we know factorial of (n-1). Base case for factorial would be n = 0. We return 1
when n = 0.

Why Stack Over ow error occurs in recursion?

If base case is not reached or not de ned, then stack over ow problem may arise. Let us take an example to understand this.

int fact(int n)
{
// wrong base case (it may cause
// stack overflow).
if (n == 100)
return 1;

else
return n*fact(n-1);
}

If fact(10) is called, it will call fact(9), fact(8), fact(7) and so on but number will never reach 100. So, the base case is not reached.
If the memory is exhausted by these functions on stack, it will cause stack over ow error.

What is the difference between direct and indirect recursion?

A function fun is called direct recursive if it calls the same function fun. A function fun is called indirect recursive if it calls another
function say fun_new and fun_new calls fun directly or indirectly. Difference between direct and indirect recursion has been
illustrated in Table 1.
 // An example of direct recursion
void directRecFun()
{
// Some code....

directRecFun();

// Some code...
}

// An example of indirect recursion

void indirectRecFun1()
{
// Some code...

indirectRecFun2();

// Some code...
}
void indirectRecFun2()
{
// Some code...

indirectRecFun1();

// Some code...
}

What is difference between tailed and non-tailed recursion?

A recursive function is tail recursive when recursive call is the last thing executed by the function. Please refer tail recursion
article for details.

How memory is allocated to different function calls in recursion?

When any function is called from main(), the memory is allocated to it on stack. A recursive function calls itself, the memory for
called function is allocated on top of memory allocated to calling function and different copy of local variables is created for each
function call. When the base case is reached, the function returns its value to the function by whom it is called and memory is de-
allocated and the process continues.

Let us take the example how recursion works by taking a simple function.

CPP
// A C++ program to demonstrate working of
// recursion
#include<bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

void printFun(int test)

{
if (test < 1)
return;
else
{
cout << test << " ";
printFun(test-1); // statement 2
cout << test << " ";
return;
}
}

int main()
{
int test = 3;
printFun(test);
}

Java

// A Java program to demonstrate working of

// recursion
class GFG{
static void printFun(int test)
{
if (test < 1)
return;
else
{
System.out.printf("%d ",test);
printFun(test-1); // statement 2
System.out.printf("%d ",test);
return;
}
}

public static void main(String[] args)

{
int test = 3;
printFun(test);
}
}

// This code is contributed by

// Smitha Dinesh Semwal

Python3
# A Python 3 program to
# demonstrate working of
# recursion

def printFun(test):

if (test < 1):

return
else:

print( test,end = " ")

printFun(test-1) # statement 2
print( test,end = " ")
return

test = 3
printFun(test)

# This code is contributed by

# Smitha Dinesh Semwal

C#

// A C# program to demonstrate
// working of recursion
using System;

class GFG {

// function to demonstrate
// working of recursion
static void printFun(int test)
{
if (test < 1)
return;
else
{
Console.Write(test + " ");

// statement 2
printFun(test - 1);

Console.Write(test + " ");

return;
}
}

// Driver Code
public static void Main(String[] args)
{
int test = 3;
printFun(test);
}
}

// This code is contributed by Anshul Aggarwal.

PHP
<?php
// PHP program to demonstrate
// working of recursion

// function to demonstrate
// working of recursion
function printFun($test)
{
if ($test < 1)
return;
else
{
echo("$test ");

// statement 2
printFun($test-1);

echo("$test ");
return;
}
}

// Driver Code
$test = 3;
printFun($test);

// This code is contributed by

// Smitha Dinesh Semwal.
?>

Output :
321123

When printFun(3) is called from main(), memory is allocated to printFun(3) and a local variable test is initialized to 3 and
statement 1 to 4 are pushed on the stack as shown in below diagram. It rst prints ‘3’. In statement 2, printFun(2) is called and
memory is allocated to printFun(2) and a local variable test is initialized to 2 and statement 1 to 4 are pushed in the stack.
Similarly, printFun(2) calls printFun(1) and printFun(1) calls printFun(0). printFun(0) goes to if statement and it return to
printFun(1). Remaining statements of printFun(1) are executed and it returns to printFun(2) and so on. In the output, value from 3
to 1 are printed and then 1 to 3 are printed. The memory stack has been shown in below diagram.

What are the disadvantages of recursive programming over iterative programming?

Note that both recursive and iterative programs have same problem solving powers, i.e., every recursive program can be written
iteratively and vice versa is also true. Recursive program has greater space requirements than iterative program as all functions
will remain in stack until base case is reached. It also has greater time requirements because of function calls and return
overhead.

What are the advantages of recursive programming over iterative programming?

Recursion provides a clean and simple way to write code. Some problems are inherently recursive like tree traversals, Tower of
Hanoi, etc. For such problems it is preferred to write recursive code. We can write such codes also iteratively with the help of
stack data structure. For example refer Inorder Tree Traversal without Recursion, Iterative Tower of Hanoi.

Output based practice problems for beginners:

Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 1
Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 2
Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 3
Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 4
Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 5
Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 6
Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 7

Quiz on Recursion
Coding Practice on Recursion:
All Articles on Recursion
Recursive Practice Problems with Solutions

This article is contributed by Sonal Tuteja. If you like GeeksforGeeks and would like to contribute, you can also write an article
using contribute.geeksforgeeks.org or mail your article to contribute@geeksforgeeks.org. See your article appearing on the
GeeksforGeeks main page and help other Geeks.

Please write comments if you nd anything incorrect, or you want to share more information about the topic discussed above

Recommended Posts:
Tail Recursion
Sum of digit of a number using recursion
Sum of natural numbers using recursion
Product of 2 numbers using recursion | Set 2
Reversing a queue using recursion
Generating subarrays using recursion
Generating all possible Subsequences using Recursion
Product of 2 Numbers using Recursion
Sort a stack using recursion
Print 1 to 100 in C++, without loop and recursion
Difference between Recursion and Iteration
Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 3
Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 1
Practice Questions for Recursion | Set 5
Reverse a stack using recursion

Improved By : Anshul_Aggarwal

Article Tags : Algorithms Recursion tail-recursion

Practice Tags : Recursion Algorithms


8
 To-do Done 2.6

Based on 30 vote(s)

Feedback Add Notes Improve Article

Please write to us at contribute@geeksforgeeks.org to report any issue with the above content.

Previous
 DDA Line generation Algorithm in Computer Graphics
Next
Program to implement Collatz Conjecture 

Writing code in comment? Please use ide.geeksforgeeks.org, generate link and share the link here.

Load Comments

Share this post!

Most popular in Algorithms

Rearrange Odd and Even values in Alternate Fashion in Ascending Order

Code Optimization Technique (logical AND and logical OR)

Print all safe primes below N

Find the Initial Array from given array after range sum queries

Ternary Search

Most visited in Recursion

Backtracking | Introduction

Recursively Reversing a linked list (A simple implementation)

Modular exponentiation (Recursive)

Check if a word exists in a grid or not

How will you print numbers from 1 to 100 without using loop? | Set-2
 Most visited in Algorithms

Print all Proth primes up to N

Maximum length subarray with LCM equal to product

Count no. of ordered subsets having a particular XOR value

Minimum prime number operations to convert A to B

Number of subarrays have bitwise OR >= K

Number of sub-strings which are anagram of any sub-string of another string

Number of divisors of product of N numbers

Program to check the number is Palindrome or not

Find the repeating and the missing number using two equations

How to write a Pseudo Code?

Print all paths from top left to bottom right in a matrix with four moves allowed

Print all multiplicative primes <= N

Maximum value of arr[i] % arr[j] for a given array

Meta Binary Search | One-Sided Binary Search

Difference between Algorithm, Pseudocode and Program

Advertise Here

710-B, Advant Navis Business Park,

Sector-142, Noida, Uttar Pradesh - 201305
feedback@geeksforgeeks.org

COMPANY
About Us
Careers
Privacy Policy
Contact Us

LEARN
Algorithms
Data Structures
Languages
CS Subjects
Video Tutorials

PRACTICE
Company-wise
Topic-wise
Contests
Subjective Questions

CONTRIBUTE
Write an Article
Write Interview Experience
Internships
Videos

@geeksforgeeks, Some rights reserved