What is the difference between recursion and tail recursion?

What is the difference between recursion and tail recursion?

Recursion is a method where a function calls itself to solve a problem. Tail recursion is a specific type of recursion where the recursive call is the last operation in the function.

Can you give me an example of each?

Sure! In a simple recursion example, a function calculating factorial might call itself multiple times before returning a result. In tail recursion, the factorial function would pass the result of the multiplication directly to the next call, making it more efficient.

Why is tail recursion more efficient?

Tail recursion is more efficient because it allows the compiler to optimize the call stack, reusing the current function's stack frame for the next call, which prevents stack overflow.

Are there programming languages that support tail call optimization?

Yes, languages like Scheme, Haskell, and some implementations of JavaScript support tail call optimization, allowing for more efficient recursive calls.