CSD201 – Data Structures and Algorithms (In

C++)

Chapter5: Recursion

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Chapter topics
• Concepts
• Implementation

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The factorial function

n! = 1 ∙ 2 ∙ 3 ∙ … ∙ (n – 1) ∙ n

??

1 if n = 0 (base case, anchor)

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Application of the definition of n!

3! = 3 ∙ 2! = 3
?∙2=6

2! = 2 ∙ 1! = 2
?∙1=2

1! = 1 ∙ 0! ==?1 ∙ 1 = 1

0! = 1

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Implementation of the factorial function

long factorial(long n) {
if (n == 0)
return 1;
else return n * factorial(n-1);
}

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Stack frame

parameters
and local
variables
return value
return
address

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Executing the factorial method

long factorial(long n) {
if (n == 0)
return 1;
(10) else return n * factorial(n-1);
}
.............................
void f() {
.............................
(20) long m = factorial(3);
.............................
}

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Applications of queues
long factorial(long n) {
if (n == 0)
return 1;
(10) else return n * factorial(n-1);
}
.............................
void f() {
.............................
0 0 long m = factorial(3);
? 1 (20).............................
}
(10) (10)
1 1 1 * 1
? ? ? 1
(10) (10) (10) (10)
2 2 2 2 2 * 2
? ? ? ? ? 2
(10) (10) (10) (10) (10) (10)
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 * 3
? ? ? ? ? ? ? 6
(20) (20) (20) (20) (20) (20) (20) (20)

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Tracing recursion

void f(int n) {
if (n > 0) {
f(n-1);
System.out.print(n + " ");
f(n-1);
}
}

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Tracing recursion using indentation
f(1) f(3)
f(2)
f(0) f(2)
f(1)
1 f(1)
f(0)
f(0) f(0)
1
1
f(0)
output: 1 f(0)
2
2
f(1)
f(1)
f(0)
f(0)
1
1
f(0)
f(0)
3
output: 1 2 1
f(2)
f(1)
f(0)
1
f(0)
void f(int n) { 2
if (n > 0) { f(1)
f(n-1); f(0)
System.out.print(n + " "); 1
f(n-1); f(0)
}
} output: 1 2 1 3 1 2 1

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Tracing recursion using tree of calls
f(1) f(2)

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

output: 1 f(0) 1 f(0) f(0) 1 f(0)

f(3) output: 1 2 1

f(2) 3 f(2)

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

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

output: 1 2 1 3 1 2 1
void f(int n) {
if (n > 0) {
f(n-1);
System.out.print(n + " ");
f(n-1);
}
}

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Excessive recursion n
1 if k = 0 or k = n
= n-1 n-1
k otherwise
5 +
k-1 k
2

4 4
1 2

3 3 3 3
0 1 1 2

1 2 2 2 2 2 2
0 1 0 1 1 2

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
0 1 0 1 0 1

1 1 1 1 1 1
Designing recursive methods: example

5 6 2 -3

5 6

11
? 2

13
? -3

10

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Designing recursive methods: example (continued)

int add(int[] a, int last) {

int add(int[] a) { // a.length ≥ 1

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Q&A

Thank you for your listening!

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