Understand recursion with these

8 classical JavaScript coding challenges for beginners

Recursive Iterative
approach approach
Table of contents
Problem 1: Calculate the sum of natural numbers from 1 to n
Problem 2: Calculate factorial of n. Remember n! = 1 * 2 * … * n
Problem 3: Calculate nm - the value of n to the m power
Problem 4: Find the nth Fibonacci number. The Fibonacci series is the series of numbers in which each number is the
sum of the previous two numbers.
Problem 5: Calculate the sum of elements of an array of numbers
Problem 6: Sort an array of numbers using bubble sort algorithm
Problem 7: Find a number in a sorted array of numbers (binary search)
Problem 8: Find the maximum number in an array containing numbers or other array of numbers
(on an unlimited number of levels)
Problem 1: Calculate the sum of natural numbers from 1 to n

Recursive solution

var sum = addTo(10); Iterative solution

println(sum);
var sum = addTo(10);
function addTo(n) println(sum);
{
if (n == 0) function addTo(n)
return 0; { This is the classical solution for
var sum = 0;
return n + addTo(n - 1); calculating the sum of numbers
} for(var i = 1; i <= n; i++) from 1 to n.
{
sum += i;
}

return sum;
}
If I know the sum of numbers
from 1 to n - 1 then I can
calculate the sum of numbers
from 1 to n by adding n to
previous sum
Problem 2: Calculate factorial of n. Remember n! = 1 * 2 * … * n

Recursive solution

var prod = factorial(10); Iterative solution

println(prod);
var prod = factorial(10);
function factorial(n)
println(prod);
{
if (n <= 1)
function factorial(n) … although is trivial and
return 1;
{
var prod = 1; fast to calculate n! using
return n * factorial(n - 1); the iterative approach!
}
for(var i = 1; i <= n; i++)
{
prod *= i;
}

return prod;
}

Many kids learn about recursion

by calculating factorial of n
using a recursive function…
Problem 3: Calculate nm - the value of n to the m power

Recursive solution

println(powerNo(3, 2));
Iterative solution
function powerNo(n, m)
{ println(powerNo(3, 2));
if (m == 0)
return 1; The for loop is used to repeat function powerNo(n, m)
{
the multiplication operation var prod = 1;
if (m == 1)
return n; m times.
for(var i = 1; i <= m; i++)
return n * powerNo(n, m - 1); {
} prod *= n;
}

return prod;
}

To calculate nm we will use

the same approach we used
to calculate n factorial
Problem 4: Find the nth Fibonacci number. The Fibonacci series is the series of
numbers in which each number is the sum of the previous two numbers.

Iterative solution
Recursive solution
function findFibonacci(n)
function findFibonacci(n) {
{ var fib0 = 0;
if (n == 0) var fib1 = 1;
return 0;
if (n == 0) This iterative solution is so FAST!
if (n == 1) return fib0; I can calculate much bigger
return 1;
if (n == 1)
Fibonacci numbers than with
return findFibonacci(n - 1) + return fib1; the recursive solution!
findFibonacci(n - 2);
} var fib;

var n = findFibonacci(10); for(var i = 2; i <= n; i++)

println(n); {
fib = fib0 + fib1;

fib0 = fib1;
fib1 = fib;
Ah… the classical problem }
of calculating the Fibonacci
return fib;
number using recursion! }

println(findFibonacci(10));
Problem 5: Calculate the sum of elements of an array of numbers
Recursive solution

var ar = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10];

Iterative solution
var n = sum(ar);
println(n);
var ar = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10];
var n = sum(ar);
function sum(ar) println(n);
{
function sum(ar)
return _sum(ar, ar.length - 1);
{
If you know how to iterate an
}
var sum = 0; array, then it is very easy to
function _sum(ar, index) calculate the sum of its elements
{ for(var el of ar)
if (index == 0) {
return ar[0]; sum += el;
}
return ar[index] + _sum(ar, index - 1);
} return sum;
}

The sum of elements is

calculated using recursion –
without any for loop
Problem 6: Sort an array of numbers using bubble sort algorithm
Recursive solution
Iterative solution
var ar = [23, 1000, 1, -1, 8, 3];
println(ar); var ar = [23, 1000, 1, -1, 8, 3];
bubbleSort(ar); println(ar);
println(ar); bubbleSort(ar);
println(ar);
function bubbleSort(ar, to)
{ function bubbleSort(ar)
var shouldSort = false; {
var length = to || ar.length - 1; var shouldSort = true;
var length = ar.length; A big while loop
for(var i = 0; i < length; i++)
{
should do it…
while(shouldSort)
var a = ar[i]; {
if ( a > ar[i+1] ) shouldSort = false;
{ length--;
ar[i] = ar[i+1];
ar[i+1] = a; for(var i = 0; i < length; i++)
shouldSort = true; {
} var a = ar[i];
} if ( a > ar[i+1] )
{
if (shouldSort) ar[i] = ar[i+1];
{ ar[i+1] = a;
bubbleSort(ar, to-1); shouldSort = true;
} }
} }
}
}

Swap array elements in the right

order… then recall the same function
until array is sorted.
Problem 7: Find a number in a sorted array of numbers (binary search)
Recursive solution Iterative solution
// 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 // 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
var ar = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100]; var ar = [10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100];

var position = findNumber(90, ar); var position = findNumber(90, ar);

println(position); println(position);

// Find number n in sorted array ar // Find number n in sorted array ar using iterative approach
// Returns array index if found or -1 if not found // Returns array index if found or -1 if not found
function findNumber(n, ar) function findNumber(n, ar)
{ {
return _findNumber(n, ar, 0, ar.length - 1); var i1 = 0;
} var i2 = ar.length - 1;

// Find number n in sorted array ar in between indexes while(i1 <= i2)

// i1 and i2 using recursive approach {
function _findNumber(n, ar, i1, i2) println("Checking interval: [" + i1 + ", " + i2 + "]");
{
if (i2 < i1) var mid = i1 + Math.floor((i2 - i1) / 2);
return -1;
if (n === ar[mid])
println("Checking interval: [" + i1 + ", " + i2 + "]"); return mid; The iterative solution
var mid = i1 + Math.floor((i2 - i1) / 2); if (n < ar[mid]) is very similar with
{ the recursive one
if (n === ar[mid]) i2 = mid - 1;
return mid; }
else
if (n < ar[mid]) {
return _findNumber(n, ar, i1, mid - 1); i1 = mid + 1;
}
return _findNumber(n, ar, mid + 1, i2); }
}
return -1;
… check if the number is in the }
middle of the array…
Problem 8: Find the maximum number in an array Iterative solution
containing numbers or other array of numbers // Use a stack to find the maximum numeric value in an array of arrays
(on an unlimited number of levels) function findMax(arElements)
{
var max = -Infinity;

Recursive solution // This is the stack on which will put the first array and then
// all the other sub-arrays that we find as we traverse an array
var ar = [2, 4, 10, [12, 4, [100, 99], 4], [3, 2, 99], 0];
var arrays = [];
var max = findMax(ar);
arrays.push(arElements);
println("Max = ", max);
// Loop as long as are arrays added to the stack for processing
// Use recursion to find the maximum numeric value in an
while(arrays.length > 0)
// array of arrays
{
function findMax(ar)
// Extract an array from the stack
{
ar = arrays.pop();
var max = -Infinity;
// ... and loop through its elements
// Cycle through all the elements of the array
for(var i = 0; i < ar.length; i++)
for(var i = 0; i < ar.length; i++)
{
{
var el = ar[i];
var el = ar[i];
// If an element is of type array, we'll add it to stack
// If an element is of type array -> invoke the same
// to be processed later
// function to find out the max elem. of that subarray
if ( Array.isArray(el) )
{
if ( Array.isArray(el) ) An iterative approach
arrays.push(el);
{
el = findMax( el );
continue; is also possible with
}
} the help of a stack
if ( el > max )
if ( el > max ) Traversing a {
{
max = el; hierarchical structure max = el;
}
} is so easy using }
}
recursion! }
return max;
return max;
}
}
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