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    4.0 Lecture 3 Recursion

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    waseemqadir333776
    Pre Calculus II

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    4.0 Lecture 3 Recursion

    Uploaded by

    waseemqadir333776
    2 views3 pages
    Pre Calculus II

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

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    Pre Calculus II

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    2 views3 pages

    4.0 Lecture 3 Recursion

    Uploaded by

    waseemqadir333776
    Pre Calculus II

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    Lecture on Recursion

    1 Introduction to Recursion
    Definition: Recursion is a method of solving a problem where the solution involves solving smaller
    instances of the same problem. A recursive function is a function that calls itself in order to solve a
    problem.
    Key Concepts:
    ˆ Base Case: The condition under which the recursive function stops calling itself. It is the simplest
    instance of the problem that can be solved directly.
    ˆ Recursive Case: The part of the function where the function calls itself with a smaller or simpler
    version of the original problem.

    2 How Recursion Works


    Example 1: Factorial of a Number
    The factorial of a number n (denoted as n!) is defined as:
    n! = n × (n − 1) × (n − 2) × · · · × 1
    We can define the factorial function recursively as:
    (
    1 if n = 0 or n = 1
    Factorial(n) =
    n × Factorial(n − 1) if n > 1
    Recursive Function in Pseudocode:
    function Factorial(n):
    if n == 0 or n == 1:
    return 1
    else:
    return n * Factorial(n-1)

    2.1 Example 2: Fibonacci Sequence


    The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.
    The sequence starts as 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and so on.
    The Fibonacci sequence can be defined recursively as:

    0
     if n = 0
    Fibonacci(n) = 1 if n = 1

    Fibonacci(n − 1) + Fibonacci(n − 2) if n > 1

    Recursive Function in Pseudocode:

    1
    function Fibonacci(n):
    if n == 0:
    return 0
    elif n == 1:
    return 1
    else:
    return Fibonacci(n-1) + Fibonacci(n-2)

    3 Advantages and Disadvantages of Recursion


    Advantages:

    ˆ Simplifies the code for problems that have a natural recursive structure, such as tree traversals or
    combinatorial problems.

    ˆ Reduces the need for complex loops.

    Disadvantages:

    ˆ Recursive functions can be less efficient in terms of memory usage due to the overhead of multiple
    function calls.

    ˆ Without a proper base case, a recursive function can lead to infinite loops and stack overflow errors.

    4 Examples in Programming
    Example 1: Sum of Array Elements
    A recursive function to find the sum of an array of numbers:

    function SumArray(arr, n):


    if n == 0:
    return 0
    else:
    return arr[n-1] + SumArray(arr, n-1)

    Example 2: Binary Search


    Binary Search is an algorithm to find the position of a target value within a sorted array. It works by
    repeatedly dividing the search interval in half.

    function BinarySearch(arr, target, low, high):


    if low > high:
    return -1
    mid = (low + high) / 2
    if arr[mid] == target:
    return mid
    elif arr[mid] > target:
    return BinarySearch(arr, target, low, mid-1)
    else:
    return BinarySearch(arr, target, mid+1, high)

    2
    5 Homework/Practice Problems
    1. Write a recursive function to calculate the greatest common divisor (GCD) of two numbers using
    Euclid’s algorithm.

    2. Implement a recursive function to compute the sum of the digits of a given number.

    3. Write a recursive function to reverse a string.

    4. Implement a recursive function to solve the Tower of Hanoi problem with 3 disks.

    5. Write a recursive function to check whether a number is a palindrome.

    6 Conclusion
    Recursion is a powerful tool in programming that helps to solve complex problems by breaking them down
    into simpler subproblems. Understanding how to use recursion effectively is essential for solving problems
    with a recursive structure.

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