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 like recursion does.

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

Sure! A classic example is the Fibonacci sequence. While both recursion and iteration can solve it, recursion is often more elegant and easier to understand, especially for problems that have a natural recursive structure.

What about the time complexity of both methods?

In terms of time complexity, both can vary depending on the implementation. For example, a naive recursive Fibonacci function has exponential time complexity, O(2^n), while an iterative approach has linear time complexity, O(n). However, optimized recursive solutions can achieve O(n) as well.

Are there any downsides to using recursion?

Yes, recursion can lead to stack overflow errors if the recursion depth is too high. It also generally has higher overhead due to function calls compared to iteration.