What are the performance differences between recursion and iteration?

What are the performance differences between recursion and iteration?

Recursion and iteration are two different approaches to solving problems. Recursion involves a function calling itself, while iteration uses loops. Generally, iteration is more memory efficient because it doesn't add to the call stack, but recursion can be more elegant and easier to read for certain problems.

Can you give me an example of a problem where recursion is better?

Sure! A classic example is the Fibonacci sequence. Using recursion can make the code simpler and more intuitive, even though it may be less efficient due to repeated calculations.

What about the performance impact of deep recursion?

Deep recursion can lead to stack overflow errors because each recursive call adds a new layer to the call stack. This can be mitigated by using techniques like tail recursion or converting the recursion to iteration.

How can I optimize a recursive function?

You can optimize a recursive function by using memoization, which stores the results of expensive function calls and returns the cached result when the same inputs occur again.