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AMT-2b. Recursively Defined Functions

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14 views2 pages

AMT-2b. Recursively Defined Functions

Uploaded by

Manish kumawat
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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Recursively Defined Functions in Discrete

Mathematics

1 Introduction
In discrete mathematics, recursively defined functions are functions that
are defined using their own values from previous steps. Recursive definitions
consist of two parts:

ˆ Base case(s): Specifies the value of the function for a specific input (often
the smallest possible input, such as 0 or 1).
ˆ Recursive case(s): Defines the value of the function in terms of previous
values of the function.

2 Examples
2.1 Factorial Function
The factorial function f (n) = n! is a classic example of a recursively defined
function.

ˆ Base case: f (0) = 1 (by definition).


ˆ Recursive case: f (n) = n × f (n − 1), for n > 0.

This means that to calculate f (n), we need to know f (n − 1), which in turn
depends on f (n − 2), and so on, until we reach the base case f (0) = 1.

2.2 Fibonacci Sequence


The Fibonacci sequence is another common example, where each term is the
sum of the two preceding terms.

ˆ Base case:
F (0) = 0, F (1) = 1

ˆ Recursive case:

F (n) = F (n − 1) + F (n − 2), for n > 1

1
For example, to compute F (5), you first need to know F (4) and F (3), which
depend on F (2) and F (1), and so on, until you reach the base cases.

3 General Structure
A recursively defined function typically follows the structure:

ˆ Base Case: f (0) = c0 , or some other initial value f (k) = ck .

ˆ Recursive Case: f (n) = g(n, f (n − 1), f (n − 2), . . . ), where g is some


function defining f (n) in terms of previous values.

4 Example: Recursively Defined Summation


Let S(n) be the sum of the first n positive integers:

ˆ Base case: S(0) = 0.

ˆ Recursive case: S(n) = S(n − 1) + n.

For example, S(3) = S(2)+3, and S(2) = S(1)+2, and so on until S(0) = 0.

5 Why Use Recursively Defined Functions?


ˆ Natural Representation: Some problems are naturally solved in terms
of smaller subproblems, such as divide-and-conquer algorithms.
ˆ Mathematical Simplicity: Recursive definitions often provide a clear,
concise way to express a function.

ˆ Relation to Recurrence Relations: Recursive definitions often corre-


spond to recurrence relations, which are used in the analysis of algorithms,
especially in time complexity.

Recursive functions are essential in discrete mathematics as they model pro-


cesses that build upon previous results.

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