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Java Lect 20

This document provides an introduction to recursion by explaining its two main parts: 1) solving easy problems immediately, and 2) dividing hard problems into smaller problems and solving those. It gives examples of recursion when crossing a parking lot, pounding a rock into dust, and checking string equality. It also presents sample questions to test understanding of recursion concepts.

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Chander Kumar
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49 views19 pages

Java Lect 20

This document provides an introduction to recursion by explaining its two main parts: 1) solving easy problems immediately, and 2) dividing hard problems into smaller problems and solving those. It gives examples of recursion when crossing a parking lot, pounding a rock into dust, and checking string equality. It also presents sample questions to test understanding of recursion concepts.

Uploaded by

Chander Kumar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to Recursion

Topics

Two Parts to Recursion:

Examples in Recursion:

Solves easy problem in one step


Divide hard problem in smaller ones, and solve small problems
Walk a Distance
Smashing a Rock

Recursion in JAVA
Quiz

How to cross a Parking Lot

It is Sunday evening and the only parking spot you can


find at R-Mall is far from the entrance (horror!). How do
you get from your car to the mall
A journey of 1000 yards begins with a single step --Lao Tse
Apply Laos instruction to our problem
What do you do next?
How do you know when the crossing the parking lot
problem has been solved?

Two Parts to Recursion


If

the problem is easy, solve it immediately


If the problem can not be solved immediately,
divide it into smaller problems:

Solve the smaller problems by applying this


procedure to each of them

Recursion on Parking lot problem

If you are one step from the mall, take that step and
you are done
If you are further than one step from the mall, divide
the distance into two parts:

a single step, and


the remaining distance
Now take a step and then cross the remaining distance

Say that you have a small rock and you have to break
it into smaller pieces with a hammer. How can you do
this?

Pounding a rock to Dust

Recursion on the Rocks


When

a piece is small, dont pound it any

further
To destroy a large rock, hit it with a hammer.
The rock shatters, leaving smaller and large
pieces

Apply this procedure to each of the pieces

String Equality

Lets forget that there is an equal() method that is part


of class String.
Here are some equal strings:

abc equals abc


abc de equals abc de

Here are not equal strings:

ab !equals abc
abC !equals abc
abc !equals aBc

Rules for string equality

The symbols x stands for a single character, as does y.


The symbol X stands for a string of characters, as does
Y. The symbol + stands for concatenation.
Rule 1: equals( ,) = true
Rule 2: equals(, X) = false if X is not empty string
Rule 3: equals(X, ) = false if X is not empty string
Rule 4: equals(x+X,y+Y) = false if x != y
Rule 5: equals(x+X,y+Y) = true if x == y and
equals(X,Y)

String Equality Examples


equals(bat,

radio) = false // rule 4


equals(rat, rat) = equals( "at", "at") // rule 5

equals( "at", "at" ) = equals( "t", "t") // rule 5


equals( "t", "t" ) = equals( "", "") // rule 5
equals( "", "" ) = true // rule 1

equals(

"rat", "ra" ) = equals( "at", "a") // rule

equals( "at", "a" ) = equals( "t", "") // rule 5


equals( "t", "" ) = false // rule 3

String Equality Examples


equals(

"rAt", "rat" ) = equals( "At", "at") //

rule5

equals( "At", "at" ) = false // rule 4

Definition of Base case: A base case is a problem


that can solved immediately.
The base cases are:

equals(
equals(
equals(
equals(

"", "" ) = true


"", X ) = false if X is not the empty string
X, "" ) = false if X is not the empty string
x+X, y+Y ) = false if x != y

Translation into JAVA


boolean equals( String strA, String strB ) {
// 1. equals( "", "" ) = true
if ( strA.length() ________ 0 && strB.length() ________ 0 ) return
true;
// 2. equals( "", X ) = false if X is not the empty string
else if ( strA.length() ________ 0 && strB.length() ________ 0 )
return false;
// 3. equals( X, "" ) = false if X is not the empty string
else if ( strA.length() ________ 0 && strB.length() ________ 0 )
return false;
// 4. equals( x+X, y+Y ) = false if x != y
else if ( strA.charAt(0) ________ strB.charAt(0) ) return false;
// 5. equals( x+X, y+Y ) = true if x == y and equals( X, Y )
else return ________( strA.substring(1), strB.substring(1) ); }

A good answer might be:


boolean equals( String strA, String strB ) {
if ( strA.length() == 0 && strB.length() == 0 )
return true;
else if ( strA.length() == 0 && strB.length() != 0 )
return false;
else if ( strA.length() != 0 && strB.length() == 0 )
return false;
else if ( strA.charAt(0) != strB.charAt(0) )
return false;
else return equals( strA.substring(1), strB.substring(1) );
}

Quiz
(Choose the single best answer)
What

are the two parts in recursion?

A. (1) If the problem is easy, solve it immediately, and


(2) If the problem can't be solved immediately, divide
it into smaller problems.
B. 1) Divide the problem into smaller problems, and (2)
give immediate solutions for the hard problems.
C. (1) Discard the hard cases , and (2) solve the easy
easy cases.
D. (1) Solve the problem by asking it to solve itself, (2)
Solve the easy cases in one step.

Quiz
How

can you drink an entire keg of root


beer?
A. (1) take one swallow, then (2) take another swallow.
B. (1) If the keg is empty do nothing, otherwise (2)
take one swallow, then drink the rest of the keg.
C. (1) take one enormous gulp, and (2) wish you
hadn't.
D. (1) drink one keg, and (2) drink another keg.

Quiz
How

do you study a text book?

A. (1) Read the book on day 1, and (2) read it again


each day of the semester.
B. (1) If you have reached the end of the book you are
done, else (2) study one page, then study the rest of
the book.
C. (1) Divide the book in two, and (2) study each half.
D. (1) Cram all the pages in one horrible session, and
(2) forget everything the next night.

Quiz
How

does detective solve a mystery?

A. (1) Examine one clue, and (2) examine the remaining


clues.
B. (1) Question one witness, and (2) question the victim.
C. (1) Eliminate one witness, and (2) eliminate the
remaining witnesses.
D. (1) When one suspect remains, that is who did it. (2)
Examine the evidence to eliminate one suspect, then
eliminate the remaining suspects.

Quiz
How

does a Web crawler visit every Web


page at a Web site?
A. (1) Visit one page, and (2) follow one link.
B. (1) If a page has one link follow that link, and (2) If
a page has several links follow each one.
C. (1) If a page links to itself, quit. (2) If a page links to
another page, follow the link.
D. (1) If a page has no links, look no further. (2) If the
page has links to other pages, visit each link.

Thank You!
Questions??

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