Recursion
- Press O or Escape for overview mode.
- Visit this link for a nice printable version
- Press the copy icon on the upper right of code blocks to copy the code
Class outline:
- Recursive functions
- Recursion in environment diagrams
- Mutual recursion
- Recursion vs. iteration
Recursive functions
A function is recursive if the body of that function calls itself, either directly or indirectly.
Recursive functions often operate on increasingly smaller instances of a problem.
Summing digits
2 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 5
Fun fact: The sum of the digits in a multiple of 9 is also divisible by 9.
9 * 82 = 738
7 + 3 + 8 = 18
The problems within the problem
The sum of the digits of 6 is simply 6.
Generally: the sum of any one-digit non-negative number is that number.
The sum of the digits of 2021 is:
Generally: the sum of a number is the sum of the first digits (number // 10),
plus the last digit (number % 10).
Summing digits without a loop
def sum_digits(n):
"""Return the sum of the digits of positive integer n.
>>> sum_digits(6)
6
>>> sum_digits(2021)
5
"""
if n < 10:
return n
else:
all_but_last = n // 10
last = n % 10
return sum_digits(all_but_last) + last
Anatomy of a recursive function
- Base case: Evaluated without a recursive call (the smallest subproblem).
- Recursive case: Evaluated with a recursive call (breaking down the problem further)
- Conditional statement to decide if it's a base case
def sum_digits(n):
if n < 10: # BASE CASE
return n
else: # RECURSIVE CASE
all_but_last = n // 10
last = n % 10
return sum_digits(all_but_last) + last
Visualizing recursion
Recursive factorial
The factorial of a number is defined as:
$$\begin{equation*} n! = \begin{cases} 1 & \text{if } n = 0 \\ n \cdot (n-1)! & \text{otherwise} \\ \end{cases} \end{equation*}$$
def fact(n):
"""
>>> fact(0)
1
>>> fact(4)
24
"""
if n == 0:
return 1
else:
return n * fact(n-1)
Recursive call visualization
def fact(n):
if n == 0:
return 1
else:
return n * fact(n-1)
fact(3)
Recursion in environment diagrams
def fact(n):
if n == 0:
return 1
else:
return n * fact(n-1)
fact(3)
- The same function
factis called multiple times - Different frames keep track of the different arguments in each call
- What
nevaluates to depends upon the current environment - Each call to
factsolves a simpler problem than the last: smallern
| fact | → func fact[parent=Global] |
| n | 3 | |
| Return value | 6 |
| n | 2 | |
| Return value | 2 |
| n | 1 | |
| Return value | 1 |
| n | 0 | |
| Return value | 1 |
Verifying recursive functions
Falling dominoes
If a million dominoes are equally spaced out and we tip the first one, will they all fall?
- Verify that one domino will fall, if tipped
- Assume that any given domino falling over will tip the next one over
- Verify that tipping the first domino tips over the next one
The recursive leap of faith
def fact(n):
"""Returns the factorial of N."""
if n == 0:
return 1
else:
return n * fact(n-1)
Is fact implemented correctly?
- Verify the base case
- Treat
factas a functional abstraction! - Assume that
fact(n-1)is correct (← the leap!) - Verify that
fact(n)is correct
The recursive elf's promise
Imagine we're trying to compute 5!
🤔 We ask ourselves, "If I somehow knew how to compute 4!, could I compute 5!?"
💡 Yep, 5! = 5 * 4!
🧝🏽♀️ The fact() function promises, "hey friend, tell you what, while you're working
hard on 5!, I'll compute 4! for you, and you can finish it off!"
Credit: FuschiaKnight, r/compsci
Mutual recursion
The Luhn algorithm
Used to verify that a credit card numbers is valid.
- From the rightmost digit, which is the check digit, moving left, double the value of every second digit; if product of this doubling operation is greater than 9 (e.g., 7 * 2 = 14), then sum the digits of that product (e.g., 14: 1 + 4 = 5)
- Take the sum of all the digits
| Original | 1 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processed | 2 | 3 | 1+6=7 | 7 | 8 | 3 | = 30 |
The Luhn sum of a valid credit card number is a multiple of 10
Calculating the Luhn sum
Let's start with...
def sum_digits(n):
if n < 10:
return n
else:
last = n % 10
all_but_last = n // 10
return last + sum_digits(all_but_last)
def luhn_sum(n):
"""Returns the Luhn sum for the positive number N.
>>> luhn_sum(2)
2
>>> luhn_sum(32)
8
>>> luhn_sum(5105105105105100)
20
"""
Luhn sum with mutual recursion
def luhn_sum(n):
if n < 10:
return n
else:
last = n % 10
all_but_last = n // 10
return last + luhn_sum_double(all_but_last)
def luhn_sum_double(n):
last = n % 10
all_but_last = n // 10
luhn_digit = sum_digits(last * 2)
if n < 10:
return luhn_digit
else:
return luhn_digit + luhn_sum(all_but_last)
Recursion and Iteration
Recursion vs. iteration
| Using recursion: | Using iteration: | |
|---|---|---|
|
| |
| Math: | $$\small\begin{equation*} n! = \begin{cases} 1 & \text{if } n = 0 \\ n \cdot (n-1)! & \text{otherwise} \\ \end{cases} \end{equation*}$$ | $$n! = \prod_{k = 1}^{n} k$$ |
| Names: | fact, n
| fact, n, total, k
|
Converting recursion to iteration
Can be tricky: Iteration is a special case of recursion.
Figure out what state must be maintained by the iterative function.
def sum_digits(n):
if n < 10:
return n
else:
all_but_last = n // 10
last = n % 10
return sum_digits(all_but_last) + last
def sum_digits(n):
digit_sum = 0
while n >= 10:
last = n % 10
n = n // 10
digit_sum += last
return digit_sum
Converting iteration to recursion
More formulaic: Iteration is a special case of recursion.
The state of an iteration can be passed as arguments.
def sum_digits(n):
digit_sum = 0
while n >= 10:
last = n % 10
n = n // 10
digit_sum += last
return digit_sum
def sum_digits(n, digit_sum):
if n == 0:
return digit_sum
else:
last = n % 10
all_but_last = n // 10
return sum_digits(all_but_last, digit_sum + last)