Recursion

What is Recursion?

A technique in which a function solves a problem by calling itself on a smaller instance of that same problem, until it reaches a base case that stops the chain. Every call adds a new frame to the finite call stack, which is exactly why a recursive function missing its base case eventually crashes with a stack overflow.

The five clues

Engineerdle #15 described Recursion with five clues, revealed one at a time from hardest to most direct. Each clue points at a different property of the concept.

1. 01A function that solves a problem by calling a smaller version of itself.
2. 02Without one specific safeguard, it never actually finishes.
3. 03That safeguard is called a base case.
4. 04Each call adds a new frame to the call stack, which is finite.
5. 05A technique where a function calls itself to break a problem into smaller instances of the same problem.

More Computer Science concepts

• Binary SearchPuzzle #5