Data structure &

Programming II
Topic: Recursive function

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Outline

▪ Review on Function

▪ What is recursive function?

▪ How to use recursive

▪ Examples and Practices

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Review on Function

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Function
❑ What and Why?
▪ A function is a block of code that performs a specific task. A function may
return a value.

▪ Why function?
✓ A large and complex program can be divided into smaller programs
✓ assign task and work in team is easy

✓ Program is easy to understand, fix error, and maintain

✓ Reusable code
✓ A function can be call again and again anytime and anywhere in the program

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Function
❑ Type of function

▪ There are two types of functions in C programming (likewise, in C++):

1. Standard library functions
Library Provided functions
▪ Also called: built-in function, or existing function stdio.h printf(), scanf()
▪ For example, see Table 1 math.h pow(), sqrt(), ceil(),
floor(), cos(), sin()
2. User-defined functions
▪ Also called: user-custom function

▪ For example, a user (programmer) defines his/her own function to do something

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Syntax C language
❑ Create Function with returning value
c) Parameter of a function
It has parameter type and parameter name
If have more than one, separate them by comma
type functionName(type parameter1){
... .. ... b) Name of function
... .. ... it should start with a verb

return value;
} int sumTwoNumber(int n1, int n2){
int s;
s=n1+n2;
a) Type of value returning d) Return value return s;
from the function It must be the same data type as a) }

Ex1: Create a function to do

summation of two numbers 6
Syntax C language
❑ Create Function with no returning value
c) Parameter of a function
It has parameter type and parameter name
If have more than one, separate them by comma
void functionName(type parameter1){
... .. ... b) Name of function
... .. ... it should start with a verb

return value;
}
void greetMessage(char name[20]){
printf(“Hi, %s”, name);
printf(“Welcome back!”);
a) Void means no returning d) No need to return value since we
value from the function use void in a) }

Ex1: Create a function to display a

greet message for a person 7
Example of functions
❑ Returning Vs. Non-returning value function
▪ Function with returning value ▪ Function with no returning value

int sum(int a, int b){

void display(int a){
int res=0;
printf(“Hello %d\n”, a);
printf(“This function has no
res=(a+b)*2;
returning value”);
n++;
printf(“use the keyword void”);
return res;
}
}

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Syntax C language
❑ How to execute the created function?
▪ The execution of a C program begins from the main( ) function.
▪ Our user-defined function can be executed by calling it from main() function

#include <stdio.h> #include <stdio.h>

void functionName(){ int functionName1(){
... .. ... ... .. ...
return 5;
... .. ... }
} void functionName2(){
... .. ...
... .. ...
int main(){ }
... .. ...
... .. ... int main(){
int result;
... .. ...
functionName();
result=functionName1();
functionName2();
... .. ... ... .. ...
... .. ... ... .. ...
} }
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 Function
❑ Global Vs. Local variable
#include <stdio.h>
Global variables
▪ Local variable a variable that creates inside a int n=0;
function char name[10];
int sum(int a, int b){
✓ Its value can not be accessed from outside int res=0;

Function
User-defined

Local variables
the function
res=(a+b)*2;
✓ Its value will be destroyed after the function n++;
finish executing return res;
Output: }

int main(){
int num=10;
▪ Global value is variable that creates int res=2;

outside the function below all library inclusion printf("*Start program \n");
✓ Its value can be accessed from any functions printf(“%d”, sum(2,5));
res = sum(2,5)
✓ Its value will be destroyed after the whole printf(“%d”, res);
program finish executing printf(“%d”, n);
Call created function
} 10
Recursive Function

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Recursive
❑ Definition

▪ A recursion is an algorithm which calls itself with smaller (or simpler) input values

▪ In programming languages, recursion is the ability given to a function to call itself

▪ To write a recursive program, the following steps are needed

1. Find a recursive decomposition of the problem (find cases which allow to call itself again)
▪ Express solution in general case

2. Find the stop condition (find base case)

▪ Check that the stop condition is reached after a finite number of recursive calls in all cases

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 Recursive
❑ Definition
▪ Recursive function is a function that calls itself repetitively until certain condition is satisfied.
It works like a loop

▪ Component of recursive function

▪ A condition to determine when the function should call itself again (keep repetition)
[repeat case or general case]
▪ A condition to determine when the function should not call itself again (stopping condition) [base case]

Remark: When call itself again, we should update its parameter in order to reach the stopping condition
▪ If-else statement
▪ A return statement
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Recursive
❑ Example of recursion in factorial

▪ The factorial of a positive integer n, denoted by

▪ n! = 1*2*…*(n-1)*n = (n-1)! *n

▪ To calculate n!, we just know how to calculate (n-1)! then multiple by n

▪ The subproblem (n-1)! is the same as the initial problem, BUT a simpler case
since n-1 < n

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How to do it in coding?

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Recursive
❑ Example of recursion in calculating a factorial number

▪ Calculate factorial Function fac(n: integer): integer

Begin function
▪ n! = 1 if n<=1 if(n<=1) then
return 1
▪ n! = ((n-1)!) * n if n>1
else
return (fac(n-1))*n
end if
End function

An example of a recursive function to

calculate a factorial number

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Example of recursion in
Suit Fibonacci
0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34

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Recursive
❑ Example of recursion in Suit Fibonacci

▪ Suit Fibonacci Function fibo(n: integer): integer

Begin function
▪ Un=1 if n<=2 if(n==1 OR n==2) then
return 1
▪ Un=Un-1+Un-2 if n>=3
else
return fibo(n-1)+fibo(n-2)
end if
End function

An example of a recursive function in

pseudo code to calculate the nth element
of suit fibonacci

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Recursive
❑ Example of recursion Summation

▪ Sum Function sum(n: integer): integer

Begin function
▪ F(n) = n + f(n-1) when n>1 if(??) then
return ??
▪ F(n)=1 when n=1
else
return ??
end if
End function

An example of a recursive function in

pseudo code to computer summation
Using recursive to find summation
S=1+2+3+…+n
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Recursive
❑ Remark

▪ Base case is a case that it does not call to the main problem. It stops recursive

▪ In each call of recursive, it should tend to reach the base case.

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 Recursive: Direct and Indirect
❑ Definition

▪ Direct recursive
▪ Subproblem uses the main problem to call for defining the result

▪ Indirect recursive
▪ Subproblem A calls subproblem B

▪ Example
f(x)=1 if x=1
f(x)=1 if x=1 or x=2 f(x)=g(x)+2 if x>1
f(x)=f(x-1)*f(x-2) if x>2 g(x)=0 if x=2
g(x)=f(x)-1 if x>2
Direct recursive Indirect recursive 21
Practice
Write a C++ program using recursive to ….

1. Calculate the summation (2 + 4 + 6 +… + n)/n using recursive where n is a

number input by a user

2. Display the message Hello 1, Hello 2, …, Hello n, where n is an input given

from user.

3. Count the number of digits in an integer input by a user using recursive

function.

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Q&A

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