Department Of Computer Science, CUI

Lahore Campus

CSC102 - Discrete Structures

By
Mahwish Waqas
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Lecture Outline

• Recursion
• Recursive definition of function
• Recursive definition of sequence
• Recursive definition of sets
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Recursive Objects
• Recursion is the process of repeating items in a self-
similar way.

• Sometimes it is difficult to define an object explicitly, but it

is easier to define it in terms of itself.
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Factorial Recursive Function

int factorial(int n)
{
if(n == 0)
return 1; Basis Step
else
return n * factorial(n - 1); Recursive Step
}
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Recursive Functions
• We can define a function recursively by specifying:
• Basis: the value of the function at the smallest element of the
domain.
• e.g. : f(0) = 1

• Recursive step: A rule for finding the value of the function at an

integer from its values at smaller integers.
• e.g. : f(n+1) = 2 * f(n)

• Many common functions can be defined recursively.

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Example
• Can you write n! as a recursive function
• F(0) = 1
• F(n) = n * F(n-1)
• What is the value of F(5)?

• F(5) = 5F(4)
= 5 . 4F(3)
= 5 . 4 . 3F(2)
= 5 . 4 . 3 . 2F(1)
= 5 . 4 . 3 . 2 . 1F(0)
= 5 . 4 . 3 . 2 . 1 . 1 = 120
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Example
• Can you write n! as a recursive function
• F(0) = 1
• F(n) = n * F(n-1)
• What is the value of F(5)?

F (5) = 5 F (4) =
F (1) = 1
1*1
F (4) = 4 F (3)
=
F (2) = 2
2*1
F (3) = 3F (2)
F=(3) = 6
3*2
F (2) = 2 F (1)
F (1) = 1F (0) F=(4) = 24
4*6
F (0) = 1 =
F (5) = 120
5*24
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Example
Suppose that f is defined recursively by
• f(0) = 3,
• f(n+1) = 2f(n)+3. for n ≥ 1
Find f(3).
Solution:
f(3) = 2f(2) + 3 = 2(21) + 3 = 45
f(2) = 2f(1) + 3 = 2(9) + 3 = 21
f(1) = 2f(0) + 3 = 2(3) + 3 = 9
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Example
Suppose that f is defined recursively by
• f(0) = -1, f(1) = 2
• f(n+1) = f(n)+3f(n-1), for n ≥ 2
Find f(4).
Solution:
f(4) = f(3) + 3f(2) = 5 + 3(-1) = 2
f(3) = f(2) + 3f(1) = -1 + 3(2) = 5
f(2) = f(1) + 3f(0) = 2 + 3(-1) = -1
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Example
• Fibonacci Numbers
• F(0) = 0, F(1) = 1
• F(n) = F(n-1) + F(n-2) for n = 2, 3, 4,……
• Find the Fibonacci number F(4).
Solution:
F(4) = F(3) + F(2) = 2 + 1 = 3
F(3) = F(2) + F(1) =1 + 1 = 2
F(2) = F(1) + F(0) = 1 + 0 = 1
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Example
• Let a and b denote positive integers. Suppose a function
Q is defined recursively as follows:
• Find the value of Q(4,5) and Q(14,3).
• Find Q(55, 7).

0 if a < b
Q ( a, b) = 
 Q ( a − b, b ) + 1 if a ≥ b

=
Q(4,5) 0 if a < b
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Example
0 if a < b
Q ( a, b) = 
 Q ( a − b, b ) + 1 if a ≥ b
Q (14, =
3) Q (14 − 3, 3) +
= 1 Q (11, 3) + 1
=
Q (11, 3) Q (8, 3) + 1
Q=(8, 3) Q (5, 3) + 1
Q=(5, 3) Q (2, 3) + 1
Q (2, 3) = 0
Q (5, 3) = 0 + 1 = 1
Q (8, 3) = 1 + 1 = 2
Q (11, 3) = 2 + 1 = 3
Q (14, 3) = 3 + 1 = 4
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Recursive Algorithms
• An algorithm is called recursive if it solves a problem by
reducing it to a smaller instance of the same problem.
• Computing n!
int factorial(int n)
{ If (n==0; return 1;
else return n*factorial(n-1); }
• Computing GCD
gcd(a,b)
/* assumption a < b */
If a=0, then return b
Else return gcd(b mod a, a)
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Example

b if a = 0
GCD ( a, b) = 
GCD (b% a, a ) if a < b
Find GCD(30,108).

GCD (30,108) = GCD(108%30, 30)

=
GCD (18, 30) GCD (30%18,18)
=
GCD (12,18) GCD (18%12,12)
=
GCD (6,12) GCD (12%6, 6)
=
GCD (0, 6) 6
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Sequence
Find the explicit formula and recursive formula of following
sequence:
2,4,8,16,32,…

Explicit Formula: Recursive Formula:

a=2 Basis Step : a2 = 2a1
r=2 a1 = 2 a3 = 2a2
an = ar n −1 Recursive Step : a4 = 2a3
an = 2(2) n −1 an +1 = 2an 
an = 2n an +1 = 2an

After giving the first term, each term of the sequence can be defined
from the previous term.
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Sequence
Find the explicit formula and recursive formula of following
sequence:
5,10,15,20,25,…

Explicit Formula: Recursive Formula:

a=5 a=
2 a1 + 5
Basis Step :
d =5 a= a2 + 5
a1 = 5 3

an =a + (n − 1)d Recursive Step : a=

4 a3 + 5
an =5 + (n − 1)5 an += an + 5 
1
an = 5n an += an + 5
1

After giving the first term, each term of the sequence can be defined
from the previous term.
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Recursively Defined Sets

• Assume S is a set.
• We use two steps to define the elements of S.
• Basis step:
• Specify an initial collection of elements.
• Recursive step:
• Give a rule for forming new elements from those
already known to be in S.
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Recursively Defined Sets

• Consider S ⊆ Z defined by
• Basis step: (Specify initial elements.)
• 0∈S
• Recursive step: (Give a rule using existing elements)
• If x ∈ S, then 2x + 2 ∈ S.

• # of elements in set S after applying 3 time recursion

•0
• 0, 2 (1st)
• 0, 2, 6 (2nd)
• 0, 2, 6, 14 (3rd)
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Recursively Defined Sets

• Consider S ⊆ Z defined by
• Basis step: (Specify initial elements.)
• 3∈S
• Recursive step: (Give a rule using existing elements)
• If x ∈ S and y ∈ S, then x + y ∈ S.
• # of elements in set S after applying 3 time recursion
•3
• 3, 6 (1st)
• 3, 6, 9, 12 (2nd)
• 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 (3rd)
• This is the set of all positive multiples of 3.
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Exercise Questions

Chapter # 5
Topic # 5.3
Q. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 27-a, 48 (Ackermann’s Function), 51