Base Case of a Recursive Function
A recursive function should have a base case with a condition that stops the function from recursing indefinitely. In the example, the base case is a condition evaluating a negative or zero value to be true.
function countdown(value)
if value is negative or zero
print "done"
otherwise if value is greater than zero
print value
call countdown with (value-1)
Recursive Step in Recursive Function
A recursive function should have a recursive step which calls the recursive function with some input that brings it closer to its base case. In the example, the recursive step is the call to countdown()
with a decremented value.
def countdown(value):
if value <= 0:
print("done")
else:
print(value)
countdown(value-1) #recursive step
What is Recursion
Recursion is a strategy for solving problems by defining the problem in terms of itself. A recursive function consists of two basic parts: the base case and the recursive step.
Call Stack in Recursive Function
Programming languages use a facility called a call stack to manage the invocation of recursive functions. Like a stack, a call stack for a recursive function calls the last function in its stack when the base case is met.

Big-O Runtime for Recursive Functions
The big-O runtime for a recursive function is equivalent to the number of recursive function calls. This value varies depending on the complexity of the algorithm of the recursive function. For example, a recursive function of input N that is called N times will have a runtime of O(N). On the other hand, a recursive function of input N that calls itself twice per function may have a runtime of O(2^N).
Weak Base Case in Recursive Function
A recursive function with a weak base case will not have a condition that will stop the function from recursing, causing the function to run indefinitely. When this happens, the call stack will overflow and the program will generate a stack overflow error.
Execution Context of a Recursive Function
An execution context of a recursive function is the set of arguments to the recursive function call. Programming languages use execution contexts to manage recursive functions.
Stack Overflow Error in Recursive Function
A recursive function that is called with an input that requires too many iterations will cause the call stack to get too large, resulting in a stack overflow error. In these cases, it is more appropriate to use an iterative solution. A recursive solution is only suited for a problem that does not exceed a certain number of recursive calls.
For example, myfunction()
below throws a stack overflow error when an input of 1000 is used.
def myfunction(n):
if n == 0:
return n
else:
return myfunction(n-1)
myfunction(1000) #results in stack overflow error
Fibonacci Sequence
A Fibonacci sequence is a mathematical series of numbers such that each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers, starting from 0 and 1.
Fibonacci sequence: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, ...
Call Stack Construction in While Loop
A call stack with execution contexts can be constructed using a while
loop, a list
to represent the call stack and a dictionary
to represent the execution contexts. This is useful to mimic the role of a call stack inside a recursive function.
Binary Search Tree
In Python, a binary search tree is a recursive data structure that makes sorted lists easier to search. Binary search trees:
- Reference two children at most per tree node.
- The “left” child of the tree must contain a value lesser than its parent.
- The “right” child of the tree must contain a value greater than it’s parent.
5
/ \
/ \
3 8
/ \ / \
2 4 7 9
Recursion and Nested Lists
A nested list can be traversed and flattened using a recursive function. The base case evaluates an element in the list. If it is not another list, the single element is appended to a flat list. The recursive step calls the recursive function with the nested list element as input.
def flatten(mylist):
flatlist = []
for element in mylist:
if type(element) == list:
flatlist += flatten(element)
else:
flatlist += element
return flatlist
print(flatten(['a', ['b', ['c', ['d']], 'e'], 'f']))
# returns ['a', 'b', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f']
Fibonacci Recursion
Computing the value of a Fibonacci number can be implemented using recursion. Given an input of index N, the recursive function has two base cases – when the index is zero or 1. The recursive function returns the sum of the index minus 1 and the index minus 2.
The Big-O runtime of the Fibonacci function is O(2^N).
def fibonacci(n):
if n <= 1:
return n
else:
return fibonacci(n-1) + fibonacci(n-2)
Modeling Recursion as Call Stack
One can model recursion as a call stack
with execution contexts
using a while
loop and a Python list
. When the base case
is reached, print out the call stack list
in a LIFO (last in first out) manner until the call stack is empty.
Using another while
loop, iterate through the call stack list
. Pop the last item off the list and add it to a variable to store the accumulative result.
Print the result.
def countdown(value):
call_stack = []
while value > 0 :
call_stack.append({"input":value})
print("Call Stack:",call_stack)
value -= 1
print("Base Case Reached")
while len(call_stack) != 0:
print("Popping {} from call stack".format(call_stack.pop()))
print("Call Stack:",call_stack)
countdown(4)
'''
Call Stack: [{'input': 4}]
Call Stack: [{'input': 4}, {'input': 3}]
Call Stack: [{'input': 4}, {'input': 3}, {'input': 2}]
Call Stack: [{'input': 4}, {'input': 3}, {'input': 2}, {'input': 1}]
Base Case Reached
Popping {'input': 1} from call stack
Call Stack: [{'input': 4}, {'input': 3}, {'input': 2}]
Popping {'input': 2} from call stack
Call Stack: [{'input': 4}, {'input': 3}]
Popping {'input': 3} from call stack
Call Stack: [{'input': 4}]
Popping {'input': 4} from call stack
Call Stack: []
'''
Recursion in Python
In Python, a recursive function accepts an argument and includes a condition to check whether it matches the base case. A recursive function has:
- Base Case - a condition that evaluates the current input to stop the recursion from continuing.
- Recursive Step - one or more calls to the recursive function to bring the input closer to the base case.
def countdown(value):
if value <= 0: #base case
print("done")
else:
print(value)
countdown(value-1) #recursive case
Build a Binary Search Tree
To build a binary search tree as a recursive algorithm do the following:
BASE CASE: If the list is empty, return "No Child" to show that there is no node. RECURSIVE STEP: 1. Find the middle index of the list. 2. Create a tree node with the value of the middle index. 3. Assign the tree node's left child to a recursive call with the left half of list as input. 4. Assign the tree node's right child to a recursive call with the right half of list as input. 5. Return the tree node.
def build_bst(my_list):
if len(my_list) == 0:
return "No Child"
middle_index = len(my_list) // 2
middle_value = my_list[middle_index]
print("Middle index: {0}".format(middle_index))
print("Middle value: {0}".format(middle_value))
tree_node = {"data": middle_value}
tree_node["left_child"] = build_bst(my_list[ : middle_index])
tree_node["right_child"] = build_bst(my_list[middle_index + 1 : ])
return tree_node
sorted_list = [12, 13, 14, 15, 16]
binary_search_tree = build_bst(sorted_list)
print(binary_search_tree)