CS1101: Foundations of Programming

Recursion

Dept. of Computer Science & Engineering

Indian Institute of Technology Patna

IIT Patna 1
 Recursion
• A process by which function calls itself repeatedly
• A function call itself directly or indirectly
• X calls X
• X calls Y, Y calls Z, Z calls X
• The process is used for repetitive computations
• Example: fact(n) = n * fact(n-1)
• Many iterative problems can be written in this form

IIT Patna 2
 Base cases and Recursion
• As a function calls itself, we need some terminating condition. Otherwise, it
will be infinite loop
• Usually, a recursion will have two components.
• Base condition — stopping criteria
• Recursive step — repetitive computation step
• Example:
fact(n) = 1 if n = 0 // Stopping criteria
= n * fact(n-1) if n > 0 // Recursive step
• Usually, the stopping criteria is the scenario when we know the solution

IIT Patna 3
 Examples
• Fibonacci sequence:

IIT Patna 4
 Examples
• Fibonacci sequence:
Fib(0) = 0
Fib(1) = 1
Fib(n) = Fib(n-1)+Fib(n-2), if n>1

IIT Patna 4
 Examples
• Fibonacci sequence:
Fib(0) = 0
Fib(1) = 1
Fib(n) = Fib(n-1)+Fib(n-2), if n>1
• Combination:

IIT Patna 4
 Examples
• Fibonacci sequence:
Fib(0) = 0
Fib(1) = 1
Fib(n) = Fib(n-1)+Fib(n-2), if n>1
• Combination:
ncr(n,n) = 1
ncr(n,0) = 1
ncr(n,r) = ncr(n-1,r)+ncr(n-1,r-1), if n>r>0

IIT Patna 4
 Examples
• Fibonacci sequence:
Fib(0) = 0
Fib(1) = 1
Fib(n) = Fib(n-1)+Fib(n-2), if n>1
• Combination:
ncr(n,n) = 1
ncr(n,0) = 1
ncr(n,r) = ncr(n-1,r)+ncr(n-1,r-1), if n>r>0
• GCD: assuming m ≥n

IIT Patna 4
 Examples
• Fibonacci sequence:
Fib(0) = 0
Fib(1) = 1
Fib(n) = Fib(n-1)+Fib(n-2), if n>1
• Combination:
ncr(n,n) = 1
ncr(n,0) = 1
ncr(n,r) = ncr(n-1,r)+ncr(n-1,r-1), if n>r>0
• GCD: assuming m ≥n
gcd(m,0) = m
gcd(m,n) = gcd(n,m%n), in n>0

IIT Patna 4
 Example: Factorial
int fact(int n){
if(n == 1){
return 1;
} else {
return (n * fact(n-1));
}
}

IIT Patna 5
 Recursion flow: Factorial
fact(4)

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

IIT Patna 6
 Recursion flow: Factorial
fact(4)

if(4 == 1) return(1);
else return(4*fact(3));

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

IIT Patna 6
 Recursion flow: Factorial
fact(4)

if(4 == 1) return(1);
else return(4*fact(3));

if(3 == 1) return(1);
else return(3*fact(2));

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

IIT Patna 6
 Recursion flow: Factorial
fact(4)

if(4 == 1) return(1);
else return(4*fact(3));

if(3 == 1) return(1);
else return(3*fact(2));

if(2 == 1) return(1);
int fact(n){
else return(2*fact(1));
if(n==1) return(1);
else return(n*fact(n-1));
}

IIT Patna 6
 Recursion flow: Factorial
fact(4)

if(4 == 1) return(1);
else return(4*fact(3));

if(3 == 1) return(1);
else return(3*fact(2));

if(2 == 1) return(1);
int fact(n){
else return(2*fact(1));
if(n==1) return(1);
else return(n*fact(n-1));
if(1 == 1) return(1);
}
else return(1*fact(0));

IIT Patna 6
 Recursion flow: Factorial
fact(4)

if(4 == 1) return(1);
else return(4*fact(3));

if(3 == 1) return(1);
else return(3*fact(2));

if(2 == 1) return(1);
int fact(n){
else return(2*fact(1)); 1
if(n==1) return(1);
else return(n*fact(n-1));
if(1 == 1) return(1);
}
else return(1*fact(0));

IIT Patna 6
 Recursion flow: Factorial
fact(4)

if(4 == 1) return(1);
else return(4*fact(3));

if(3 == 1) return(1);
else return(3*fact(2)); 2

if(2 == 1) return(1);
int fact(n){
else return(2*fact(1)); 1
if(n==1) return(1);
else return(n*fact(n-1));
if(1 == 1) return(1);
}
else return(1*fact(0));

IIT Patna 6
 Recursion flow: Factorial
fact(4)

if(4 == 1) return(1);
else return(4*fact(3)); 6

if(3 == 1) return(1);
else return(3*fact(2)); 2

if(2 == 1) return(1);
int fact(n){
else return(2*fact(1)); 1
if(n==1) return(1);
else return(n*fact(n-1));
if(1 == 1) return(1);
}
else return(1*fact(0));

IIT Patna 6
 Recursion flow: Factorial
24
fact(4)

if(4 == 1) return(1);
else return(4*fact(3)); 6

if(3 == 1) return(1);
else return(3*fact(2)); 2

if(2 == 1) return(1);
int fact(n){
else return(2*fact(1)); 1
if(n==1) return(1);
else return(n*fact(n-1));
if(1 == 1) return(1);
}
else return(1*fact(0));

IIT Patna 6
 Fibonacci sequence
• Fibonacci sequence: F0 = 0, F1 = 1, Fn = Fn−1 + Fn−2
• Sequence: 0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,…
• Recursive code:
int fib(n){
if(n<2) return n;
else return (fib(n-1)+fib(n-2));
}

IIT Patna 7
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}
f(3)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}
f(3)

f(2)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}
f(3)

f(2)

f(1)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}
f(3)

f(2)
1

f(1)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}
f(3)

f(2)
1

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}
f(3)

f(2)
1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}
f(3)
1

f(2)
1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}
f(3)
1

f(2) f(1)
1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2));
}
f(3)
1 1

f(2) f(1)
1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2)); 2
}
f(3)
1 1

f(2) f(1)
1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2)); 2
}
f(3) f(2)
1 1

f(2) f(1)
1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2)); 2
}
f(3) f(2)
1 1

f(2) f(1) f(1)

1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2)); 2
}
f(3) f(2)
1 1 1

f(2) f(1) f(1)

1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2)); 2
}
f(3) f(2)
1 1 1

f(2) f(1) f(1) f(0)

1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2)); 2
}
f(3) f(2)
1 1 1 0

f(2) f(1) f(1) f(0)

1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2)); 2 1
}
f(3) f(2)
1 1 1 0

f(2) f(1) f(1) f(0)

1 0

f(1) f(0)

IIT Patna 8
 Recursion flow: Fibonacci
int f(int n){ 3
if(n<2) return(n);
f(4)
else return (f(n-1)+f(n-2)); 2 1
}
f(3) f(2)
How many f() calls are there for f(4)? 9 1 1 1 0

f(2) f(1) f(1) f(0)

1 0

f(1) f(0)

Inefficiency arises due to repeated computation of the same things

IIT Patna 8
 Notes
• Every recursion program can also be written without recursion
• Easy to replace tail recursion by a loop
• In general, removal of recursion may be a difficult task
• Recursion can be helpful in many solutions
• Better readability, Ease of programming
• Sometime, recursion gives best-possible or best known algorithms to solve
problems
• Recursion can also be a killer
• You solve the same subproblem multiple times
• Every recursive call incurs a small overhead
• Use recursion carefully

IIT Patna 9
 Things to remember
• Think how the current problem can be solved if you can solve exactly the same
problem on one or more smaller instances
• Do not think how the smaller problem will be solved, just call the function
recursively assume that the recursive calls do the job correctly
• Do not forget to include base cases to solve the smallest instance
• This is similar to mathematical induction
• To write recursive function make sure of the following
• First write the base condition (terminating step)
• Write the rest of the part of the function

IIT Patna 10
 Example: Print the digits of an integer in reverse
• If the input is 2860 then you need to print 0682
• Use recursion to do this

IIT Patna 11
 Example: Print the digits of an integer in reverse
• If the input is 2860 then you need to print 0682
• Use recursion to do this

void printReverse(int j){

if(j < 10){
printf("%d",j);
} else {
printf("%d",j%10);
printReverse(j/10);
}
}

IIT Patna 11
 Print your name in reverse
#include <stdio.h>
void printReverse(){
char c;
scanf("%c",&c);
if(c == '\n')
return;
printReverse();
printf("%c",c);
}

int main(){
printf("Enter your name:");
printReverse();
printf("\n");
return 0;
}

IIT Patna 12
 Print your name in reverse
#include <stdio.h>
void printReverse(){
char c; Output:
scanf("%c",&c); Enter your name:Doris Ursula
if(c == '\n') alusrU siroD
return;
printReverse();
printf("%c",c);
}

int main(){
printf("Enter your name:");
printReverse();
printf("\n");
return 0;
}

IIT Patna 12
 Print your name in reverse
#include <stdio.h>
void printReverse(){
char c; Output:
scanf("%c",&c); Enter your name:Doris Ursula
if(c == '\n') alusrU siroD
return;
printReverse();
Modify the code to have following output:(Homework)
printf("%c",c);
Enter your name:Doris Ursula
}
Name in reverse:alusrU siroD
int main(){
printf("Enter your name:");
printReverse();
printf("\n");
return 0;
}

IIT Patna 12
 Tower of Hanoi
• Problem:
• There are three pegs and 8 circular disks.
• Each disk has a different size and a smaller disk can rest on a larger disk
• At a time only one disk can be moved from one peg to the other
• What is the minimum number of moves required?
• How many moves will be required when the number of disk is 64? How much
time will it take to execute?
• Known as Tower of Brahma

A B C
IIT Patna 13
 Tower of Hanoi - 1
• Moves when there is 1 disk

A B C

IIT Patna 14
 Tower of Hanoi - 1
• Moves when there is 1 disk

A B C

IIT Patna 14
 Tower of Hanoi - 2
• Moves when there are 2 disks

A B C

IIT Patna 15
 Tower of Hanoi - 2
• Moves when there are 2 disks

A B C

IIT Patna 15
 Tower of Hanoi - 2
• Moves when there are 2 disks

A B C

IIT Patna 15
 Tower of Hanoi - 2
• Moves when there are 2 disks

A B C

IIT Patna 15
 Tower of Hanoi
• Problem:
• What is the strategy to move n disks? How many moves will be required when
the number of disk is n?

A B C

IIT Patna 16
 Tower of Hanoi
• Problem:
• What is the strategy to move n disks? How many moves will be required when
the number of disk is n?

A B C

IIT Patna 16
 Tower of Hanoi
• Problem:
• What is the strategy to move n disks? How many moves will be required when
the number of disk is n?

A B C

IIT Patna 16
 Tower of Hanoi
• Problem:
• What is the strategy to move n disks? How many moves will be required when
the number of disk is n?

A B C

IIT Patna 16
 Tower of Hanoi - 3
• Moves when there are 3 disks

A B C

IIT Patna 17
 Tower of Hanoi - 3
• Moves when there are 3 disks

A B C

Move A to C

IIT Patna 17
 Tower of Hanoi - 3
• Moves when there are 3 disks

A B C

Move A to C
Move A to B

IIT Patna 17
 Tower of Hanoi - 3
• Moves when there are 3 disks

A B C

Move A to C
Move A to B
Move C to B

IIT Patna 17
 Tower of Hanoi - 3
• Moves when there are 3 disks

A B C

Move A to C
Move A to B
Move C to B
Move A to C

IIT Patna 17
 Tower of Hanoi - 3
• Moves when there are 3 disks

A B C

Move A to C
Move A to B
Move C to B
Move A to C
Move B to A

IIT Patna 17
 Tower of Hanoi - 3
• Moves when there are 3 disks

A B C

Move A to C
Move A to B
Move C to B
Move A to C
Move B to A
Move B to C

IIT Patna 17
 Tower of Hanoi - 3
• Moves when there are 3 disks

A B C

Move A to C
Move A to B
Move C to B
Move A to C
Move B to A
Move B to C
Move A to C

IIT Patna 17
 Tower of Hanoi
#include <stdio.h>
void toh(int n, char F, char T, char A);
int main(){
int n;
scanf("%d",&n);
toh(n,'A','C','B');
}
void toh(int, char F, char T, char A){
if(n>0){
toh(n-1, F, A, T);
printf("Move disk %d from %c to %c\n",n,F,T);
toh(n-1, A, T, F);
}
}
IIT Patna 18
 Common mistakes
• No base cases
• Terminating condition is never reached

IIT Patna 19
 Common mistakes
• No base cases
• Terminating condition is never reached

int fact(int n){

return n*fact(n-1);
}

IIT Patna 19
 Common mistakes
• No base cases
• Terminating condition is never reached

int fact(int n){ int func1(int n){

return n*fact(n-1); if(n==1) return 1;
} return func1(n--);
}

IIT Patna 19
 Common mistakes
• No base cases
• Terminating condition is never reached

int fact(int n){ int func1(int n){

return n*fact(n-1); if(n==1) return 1;
} return func1(n--);
}

int func2(int n){

if(n==0) return 1;
return n*(n-1)*func2(n-2);
}

IIT Patna 19
 Common mistakes
• No base cases
• Terminating condition is never reached

int fact(int n){ int func1(int n){

return n*fact(n-1); if(n==1) return 1;
} return func1(n--);
}

int func2(int n){

if(n==0) return 1;
return n*(n-1)*func2(n-2);
}
Base condition will not be reached for odd n

IIT Patna 19
 Recursion vs Iteration
• Common features
• Both achieve repetition
• Both have some terminating conditions, execution gradually approaches ter-
mination
• Both can have infinite loop
• Issues
• Recursion has overhead of function call
• Many problems do not require recursive solutions
• Implementation / Readability is for recursion usually
• You need to take an educated decision

IIT Patna 20
 Data storage
int fact(int n){
int val;
if(n==1) return 1;
val = n * fact(n-1);
printf("n: %lu,%d val: %lu,%d\n",&n,n,&val,val);
return val;
}

int main(){
int n=5;
fact(n);
}

IIT Patna 21
 Data storage
int fact(int n){
int val;
if(n==1) return 1;
val = n * fact(n-1);
printf("n: %lu,%d val: %lu,%d\n",&n,n,&val,val);
return val;
} Output:
n: 140731046224636,2 val: 140731046224644,2
int main(){ n: 140731046224684,3 val: 140731046224692,6
int n=5; n: 140731046224732,4 val: 140731046224740,24
fact(n); n: 140731046224780,5 val: 140731046224788,120
}

IIT Patna 21
 What will be the output?
void func(int n){
int d;
if(n==0) return;
scanf("%d",&d);
func(n-1);
printf("%d\n",d);
}

int main(){
int n=5;
func(n);
}

IIT Patna 22
 What will be the output?
void func(int n){ void func(int n){
int d; int d;
if(n==0) return; if(n==0) return;
scanf("%d",&d); func(n-1);
func(n-1); scanf("%d",&d);
printf("%d\n",d); printf("%d\n",d);
} }

int main(){ int main(){

int n=5; int n=5;
func(n); func(n);
} }

IIT Patna 22
 What will be the output?
void func(int n){ void func(int n){ void func(int n){
int d; int d; int d;
if(n==0) return; if(n==0) return; if(n==0) return;
scanf("%d",&d); func(n-1); scanf("%d",&d);
func(n-1); scanf("%d",&d); printf("%d\n",d);
printf("%d\n",d); printf("%d\n",d); func(n-1);
} } }

int main(){ int main(){ int main(){

int n=5; int n=5; int n=5;
func(n); func(n); func(n);
} } }

IIT Patna 22
 What will be the output?
int func(int n){
int s;
if(n==0) return 0;
s = n + func(n-1);
printf("%d\n",s);
return s;
}

int main(){
int n=5;
func(n);
}

IIT Patna 23
 What will be the output?
int func(int n){
int s;
if(n==0) return 0;
s = n + func(n-1); Output:
printf("%d\n",s); 1
return s; 3
} 6
10
int main(){ 15
int n=5;
func(n);
}

IIT Patna 23
 What will be the output?
int func(int n){
int sum,d;
if(n==0) return 0;
scanf("%d",&d);
sum = func(n-1);
sum += d;
printf("%d\n",sum);
return sum;
}

int main(){
int n=5;
func(n);
}
IIT Patna 24
 What will be the output?
int func(int n){
void func(int n,int sum){
int sum,d;
int d;
if(n==0) return 0;
if(n==0) return;
scanf("%d",&d);
scanf("%d",&d);
sum = func(n-1);
sum += d;
sum += d; Input:
printf("%d\n",sum);
printf("%d\n",sum); 12345
func(n-1,sum);
return sum; Output: ?
}
}

int main(){
int main(){
int n=5;
int n=5;
func(n,0);
func(n); }
}
IIT Patna 24
 What will be the output?
int func(int n, int m){
if(n==1) return m;
else return (m + func(n-1, m));
}

int main(){
int n=13, m=5, out;
out = func(n, m);
}

IIT Patna 25
 What will be the output?
int func(int n, int m){
if(n==1) return m;
else return (m + func(n-1, m));
}

int main(){
int n=13, m=5, out;
out = func(n, m);
}

Multiplication using repeated sum

IIT Patna 25
 Largest element in the array

int max(int x[], int low, int size){

int large;
if(low == size) return x[low-1];
large = max(x, low+1, size);
return large > x[low-1] ? large : x[low-1];
}

IIT Patna 26
 Largest element in the array

int max(int x[], int low, int size){

int large;
if(low == size) return x[low-1];
large = max(x, low+1, size);
return large > x[low-1] ? large : x[low-1];
}

Intuition: Find the largest element (m) from 2 to n, then compare m with
the first element and determine largest for 1 to n

IIT Patna 26
 Largest element in the array

int max(int x[], int l, int h){

int m, maxl, maxr;
if(l == h) return x[l];
maxl = max(x, l, (l+h)/2);
maxr = max(x, (l+h)/2+1, h);
return maxl > maxr ? maxl : maxr ;
}

IIT Patna 27
 Largest element in the array

int max(int x[], int l, int h){

int m, maxl, maxr;
if(l == h) return x[l];
maxl = max(x, l, (l+h)/2);
maxr = max(x, (l+h)/2+1, h);
return maxl > maxr ? maxl : maxr ;
}

Intuition: Find the largest on the first half (m1 ), then on the second half
(m2 ), and then return the maximum of m1 and m2

IIT Patna 27
 Memory: Function call
int main(){ int fact(int x){
.
. .
.
. .
.
.
x = fact(n); .
.
.
. return value;
} }

{
Activation
{

Local variables
MEMORY

z }|
record
Return value
Return addr
STACK
z }|

Before call After call After return

IIT Patna 28
 Memory: Function call

int main(){ int npr(int n, int r){ int fact(int x){

.
. .
. .
.
. . .
.
. .
.
x = fact(n, r); . .
.
.
. return fact(n)/fact(r); return value;
} } }

RA, RV, LV - fact

RA, RV, LV - npr RA, RV, LV - npr RA, RV, LV - npr

Before call After npr call After fact call After fact return After return

IIT Patna 29
 Practice problems
• Write a recursive function to find an element in an array
• Write a recursive function that prints the binary equivalent of a integer number
• Write a recursive function to find sum of the squares of a set of integers stored in an array
• Write a recursive function to copy one array to another
• Write a recursive function to determine xn , x - float, n - int

IIT Patna 30