What are the differences between iterative and recursive approaches in programming?

What are the differences between iterative and recursive approaches in programming?

Iterative approaches use loops to repeat a block of code, while recursive approaches call a function within itself.

Can you give me an example of both in Python?

Sure! For iteration, you might use a for loop to sum numbers. For recursion, you could define a function that calls itself to calculate factorial.

Are there performance differences between the two methods?

Yes, recursion can lead to higher memory usage due to function call stacks, while iteration generally uses less memory.

In which scenarios would you prefer one over the other?

You might prefer iteration for simple tasks or when performance is critical, while recursion is often clearer for problems like tree traversals.