Recursioon

Recursion is a fundamental concept in computer science and mathematics where a function or process calls itself to solve a problem. This self-referential nature allows complex problems to be broken down into smaller, identical subproblems. The core idea of recursion involves two key components: a base case and a recursive step. The base case is a condition that stops the recursion, preventing infinite loops. Without a base case, a recursive function would continuously call itself, leading to a stack overflow error. The recursive step is where the function calls itself with a modified input, moving closer to the base case with each call. Common examples of recursion include calculating factorials, traversing tree data structures, and solving problems like the Tower of Hanoi. While recursion can offer elegant and concise solutions, it's important to consider its potential drawbacks, such as increased memory usage due to function call overhead and the possibility of exceeding the call stack limit for very deep recursions. Many recursive algorithms can also be implemented iteratively using loops, which may be more efficient in certain scenarios.