14 Lecture

CS301

Midterm & Final Term Short Notes

Recursive Calls

Recursive calls are a programming technique where a function calls itself within its own code. This allows for complex problems to be broken down into simpler, more manageable subproblems. Recursive calls use a stack to store information about e


Important Mcq's
Midterm & Finalterm Prepration
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  1. What is recursion? a. A process of dividing a problem into smaller subproblems b. A process of repeating a set of instructions c. A process of sorting data in ascending order d. None of the above

Answer: a

  1. What is the base case in recursion? a. The case where the function calls itself b. The case where the function returns a value without calling itself c. The case where the function uses a loop instead of recursion d. None of the above

Answer: b

  1. Which data structure is commonly used in recursion? a. Stack b. Queue c. Linked list d. Array

Answer: a

  1. What is the maximum number of recursive calls that can be made? a. 100 b. 1000 c. It depends on the available memory d. There is no limit

Answer: c

  1. Which of the following is a disadvantage of recursion? a. It is easy to understand and implement b. It may cause stack overflow errors c. It always results in better performance than iterative solutions d. None of the above

Answer: b

  1. Which of the following algorithms uses recursion? a. Quick sort b. Merge sort c. Bubble sort d. Selection sort

Answer: a and b

  1. Which of the following is true about recursive functions? a. They are always faster than iterative functions b. They require less memory than iterative functions c. They may be more readable and concise than iterative functions d. None of the above

Answer: c

  1. What is tail recursion? a. A type of recursion where the recursive call is the last operation performed by the function b. A type of recursion where the function calls itself multiple times c. A type of recursion where the function uses a loop instead of recursion d. None of the above

Answer: a

  1. What is the difference between direct and indirect recursion? a. Direct recursion occurs when a function calls itself, while indirect recursion occurs when two or more functions call each other. b. Direct recursion occurs when two or more functions call each other, while indirect recursion occurs when a function calls itself. c. Direct and indirect recursion are the same thing. d. None of the above

Answer: a

  1. Which of the following is an example of a recursive data structure? a. Linked list b. Stack c. Queue d. Array

Answer: a and b



Subjective Short Notes
Midterm & Finalterm Prepration
Past papers included

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  1. What is recursion? Answer: Recursion is a programming technique where a function calls itself within its own code.

  2. What is the base case in recursion? Answer: The base case is the case where the function returns a value without calling itself, stopping the recursive process.

  3. What is the difference between direct and indirect recursion? Answer: Direct recursion occurs when a function calls itself, while indirect recursion occurs when two or more functions call each other.

  4. What is tail recursion? Answer: Tail recursion is a type of recursion where the recursive call is the last operation performed by the function.

  5. What is the maximum number of recursive calls that can be made? Answer: The maximum number of recursive calls that can be made depends on the available memory.

  6. What is a stack overflow error? Answer: A stack overflow error occurs when the maximum stack size is exceeded due to too many recursive calls.

  7. What are the advantages of recursion? Answer: Recursion can simplify complex problems by breaking them down into smaller subproblems, and can be more readable and concise than iterative solutions.

  8. What are the disadvantages of recursion? Answer: Recursion may cause stack overflow errors and can be less efficient than iterative solutions.

  9. What is the role of the base case in recursion? Answer: The base case provides a stopping condition for the recursive process.

  10. What are some common algorithms that use recursion? Answer: Quick sort, merge sort, and binary search are common algorithms that use recursion.

Recursive calls are a powerful programming technique that involves a function calling itself. This allows for the creation of elegant and efficient code that can handle complex problems by breaking them down into smaller subproblems. The concept of recursion can be difficult to understand at first, but it is an important tool in computer science. In order for recursion to work, a base case must be defined. The base case is a stopping condition that prevents the function from calling itself indefinitely. Without a base case, the function would continue to call itself until it ran out of memory and caused a stack overflow error. Recursion can be used in a variety of algorithms, including sorting and searching algorithms. For example, the quicksort algorithm uses recursion to sort an array by dividing it into smaller subarrays and recursively sorting each subarray. While recursion can simplify code and make it more elegant, it also has some disadvantages. Recursive functions can be less efficient than iterative solutions, and can cause stack overflow errors if the maximum stack size is exceeded. To avoid these issues, it is important to carefully design recursive functions and ensure that the base case is well-defined. Tail recursion, a type of recursion where the recursive call is the last operation performed by the function, can also help to prevent stack overflow errors. In conclusion, recursive calls are a powerful tool in programming that can simplify complex problems and create elegant solutions. However, care must be taken to avoid stack overflow errors and ensure that recursive functions are well-designed and efficient.