Can you explain recursion with a visual example?

Can you explain recursion with a visual example?

Sure! Recursion is a process where a function calls itself. Imagine a function that calculates the factorial of a number. For example, factorial of 5 (5!) is 5 * 4 * 3 * 2 * 1. In a recursive approach, the function would call itself with decreasing values until it reaches 1.

Can you show me a visual representation of that?

Absolutely! Picture a tree structure: the root is 5, which branches to 4, 3, 2, and 1. Each branch represents a function call, and the leaves show the base case where the recursion stops.

What happens if I try to calculate the factorial of a negative number?

Good question! Factorials are not defined for negative numbers. If you try to calculate it, the recursive function would keep calling itself indefinitely, leading to a stack overflow error.

Can you give me an example of a real-world application of recursion?

Certainly! Recursion is often used in algorithms for tasks like sorting (e.g., quicksort) and searching (e.g., binary search), as well as in navigating complex data structures like trees and graphs.