What is recursion and how is it implemented in different programming languages?

What is recursion and how is it implemented in different programming languages?

Recursion is a programming technique where a function calls itself to solve a problem. It's implemented in many languages like Python, Java, and C++. Would you like examples in a specific language?

Yes, can you show me how recursion works in Python?

Sure! In Python, a simple example of recursion is calculating the factorial of a number:

def factorial(n):
    if n == 0:
        return 1
    else:
        return n * factorial(n - 1)

This function calls itself until it reaches the base case.

What about Java? How would I implement recursion there?

In Java, the implementation is quite similar. Here's how you can write a recursive factorial function:

public class Factorial {
    public static int factorial(int n) {
        if (n == 0) {
            return 1;
        } else {
            return n * factorial(n - 1);
        }
    }
}

Can you explain the concept of base case in recursion?

The base case is a condition that stops the recursion. It's essential to prevent infinite loops. In the factorial example, the base case is when n equals 0, returning 1.