What are recursive functions and how do they work?

What are recursive functions and how do they work?

Recursive functions are functions that call themselves in order to solve a problem. They typically have a base case to stop the recursion.

Can you give me an example of a recursive function?

Sure! A classic example is the factorial function. It calculates the product of all positive integers up to a given number n. It can be defined as:

function factorial(n) {
    if (n === 0) return 1; // base case
    return n * factorial(n - 1); // recursive call
}

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using recursion?

Advantages include simpler code and easier problem-solving for complex problems. Disadvantages are higher memory usage and potential stack overflow for deep recursion.

How can I optimize a recursive function?

You can optimize a recursive function using techniques like memoization, which stores previously computed results to avoid redundant calculations.