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Recursive Algorithms

Recursion is a programming technique that involves procedures calling themselves. A recursive procedure contains a base case that provides the answer directly and a recursive case that calls the procedure on a smaller input. This lecture provides examples of recursive functions to calculate factorial and Fibonacci numbers. It explains how recursive calls are handled via stack frames and compares recursion to iteration in terms of control structures, termination conditions, performance, and code elegance.

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Dean James Ngugi
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221 views14 pages

Recursive Algorithms

Recursion is a programming technique that involves procedures calling themselves. A recursive procedure contains a base case that provides the answer directly and a recursive case that calls the procedure on a smaller input. This lecture provides examples of recursive functions to calculate factorial and Fibonacci numbers. It explains how recursive calls are handled via stack frames and compares recursion to iteration in terms of control structures, termination conditions, performance, and code elegance.

Uploaded by

Dean James Ngugi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BBT 1201: Data

Structures and
Algorithms
Lecture 5: Recursion

What is recursion

Recursion is a programming technique in


which procedures call themselves.
Recursive procedures generally solve a
problem by reducing the problem to an
instance of the same problem, but with a
smaller input
Formally a recursive procedure is one that
calls itself

Components of a Recursive
Procedure

A recursive procedure has the following


components

A base case
A recursive case

The general format of a recursive procedure


is
if (answer is known)
provide the answer (base value)
else
make a recursive call using a smaller
instance (recursive case)

Example: Factorial (2)

Definition:

Given n >= 0:

Example:

n! = n (n - 1) (n - 2) ... 2 1
0! = 1; 1! = 1

5! = 5 4 3 2 1 = 120

Formally, the function can be defined as:


1

if n<=1

n! =
n* (n -1)! if n>1

Example: Factorial

Write a recursive function Factorial(n) which


computes the value of n!
Analysis

Base Case:

If n = 0 or n=1: Factorial(n) = 1

Recursion:

n! = n (n - 1) (n - 2) ... 2 1

(n - 1)!
If n > 1: Factorial(n) = n Factorial(n - 1)

Solution
Computes the factorial
function Factorial ( n
if ( n is less than or
return 1
else
return n Factorial

of a number
)
equal to 1) then
( n 1)

/* Compute the factorial of n */


int factorial ( int n )
{
if ( n <= 1 )
return 1;
else
return n * factorial(n-1);
}

Example: Fibonacci

Fibonacci series

A series of numbers which

begins with 0 and 1


every subsequent number is the sum of the previous two
numbers
Fk = Fk-1 + Fk-2, F0 = 0, F1 = 1

example: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21,...


Formally
F(n) =

0,
if n=0
1,
if n=1
F(n-1) + F(n-2) if n>1

Example: Fibonacci (2)

The Fibonacci series can be defined


recursively as follows:

Base case

Fibonacci(0) = 0
Fibonacci(1) = 1

Recursive

Fibonacci(n) = Fibonacci(n - 2) + Fibonacci(n - 1)

Solution
function Fibonacci ( n )
if ( n is less than or equal to 1 ) then
return n
else
return Fibonacci ( n - 2 ) + Fibonacci ( n - 1 )
/* Compute the n-th Fibonacci number */
long fib ( int n )
{
if ( n <= 1 )
return n ;
else
return fib( n - 2 ) + fib( n - 1 );
}

Exercises
1.

2.

Write a recursive function to calculate the


sum of the first n natural numbers
Use recursion to implement the power
function that takes two integers

Hint: power (a, b) = a* power (a, b-1)

Stack and procedure calls

To understand how recursion works at run time, we


need to consider what happens when a procedure is
called
When a procedure is called, a block of memory is
allocated to it in the stack.
This block of memory (termed the stack frame or
activation record) will contain:

the procedures local variable


the procedures parameters
return address

Local Variables
Parameters
Return Address

Handling Recursive calls

Recursive procedure call is handled like any


other procedure call.
Each recursive call has an activation record
on the stack, which stores values of
parameters and local variables.
When the base case is reached return is
made to previous call

Recursion vs. Iteration

Both are based on the control structures

Repetition (Iteration): explicitly uses repetition


(loop).
Selection (Recursion): implicitly use repetition by
successive function calls

Both involve termination

Iteration: loop condition fails


Recursion: base case recognized

Recursion vs. Iteration (2)

Any problem that can be solved recursively


can also be solved iteratively with a stack.
Recursion has an overhead of repeated
function calls which is expensive in terms of
processor time and memory usage
If used properly a recursive approach can
lead to smaller code size and elegant
program (at the case of performance
penalty.)

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