drummyfish/less_retarded_wiki
5
1
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull requests Projects Releases Packages Wiki Activity

Update

Browse source
This commit is contained in:
Miloslav Ciz 2023-10-26 21:18:34 +02:00
parent 5c43f56dc3
commit 1c2717e515
8 changed files with 48 additions and 29 deletions
Download patch file Download diff file Expand all files Collapse all files

21
recursion.md
View file

@ -18,7 +18,26 @@ unsigned int factorial(unsigned int x)
}
```
See that as long as x > 1, recursive calls are being made; with each the x is decremented so that inevitably x will at one point come to equal 1. Then the *else* branch of the condition will be taken -- the terminating condition has been met -- and in this branch no further recursive call is made, i.e. the recursion is stopped here and the code starts to descend from the recursion.
See that as long as x > 1, recursive calls are being made; with each the x is decremented so that inevitably x will at one point come to equal 1. Then the *else* branch of the condition will be taken -- the terminating condition has been met -- and in this branch no further recursive call is made, i.e. the recursion is stopped here and the code starts to descend from the recursion. The following diagram show graphically computation of `factorial(4)`:
```
factorial(4) = 4 * 6 = 24
| ^
| | return
| '------------.
| call |
'-----> factorial(3) = 3 * 2 = 6
| ^
| | return
| '------------.
| call |
'-----> factorial(2) = 2 * 1 = 2
| ^
| | return
| '-----.
| call |
'------> factorial(1) = 1 <-- end condition met
```
Note that even in computing we can use an infinite recursion sometimes. For example in [Hashell](haskell.md) it is possible to define infinite [data structures](data_structure.md) with a recursive definition; however this kind of recursion is intentionally allowed, it is treated as a mathematical definition and with correct use it won't crash the program.