Notes on the First Assignment: Comparing Iterative and

Recursive Factorial Calculations

Assignment Rules:
• Tip: Before diving into your assignment, take the time to thoroughly read and understand the rules and
instructions. This ensures that your submission is comprehensive and accurate.

Structured Reporting: The significance of well-organized reports.

• Tip: Organize your reports. Utilize tables, charts, and clear discussions to present your findings. A well-
structured report enhances the overall presentation and readability of your work.

Importance of Choosing Appropriate Data Types:

• Tip: When working with variables in programming, be sure of selecting the right data types. Choosing
inadequate types may result in unexpected errors or inaccuracies in results. Pay attention to the data types
that best suit the requirements of your task.
 Choosing Appropriate Data Types

• C++ offers the data type ‘unsigned long long’.

• This data type uses 64 bits.
• Rule: The maximum value that can be represented by unsigned long long is 264 – 1
• 264 – 1 ≈ 𝟏𝟖. 𝟒 × 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟖
• Choosing data types for factorials:
• When calculating factorials, choose a data type that can store the result without overflow.
• ensure that n! does not exceed 𝟏𝟖. 𝟒 × 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟖 .

cout << "Number of bits for unsigned long long: " << sizeof(unsigned long long) * 8 << " bits" << endl;
Cont. Recursion
 Exponentiation (xy) with Recursive Method

Exponentiation, represented as xy, is a fundamental mathematical operation where x is the base and y is the
exponent. When dealing with exponentiation through a recursive method, we break down the problem into
smaller subproblems. Assume x can be of type double and y is of type integer. The recursive approach involves
two main cases:
1) Base case: If the exponent (y) is 0, the result is always 1. [x0 is always 1]
2) Recursive Case: If y is greater than 0, we recursively calculate x^(y-1) and multiply the result by x.

xy = xy * xy-1 * xy-2 * ……. * x0

xy = xy * xy-1
The general Recursive Formula:
So we can use recursion to define the power function:
power (x , y) = 1 if y = 0 Base case

x * power (x , y-1) if y > 0 Recursive call

Pseudocode

function recursive_power(x, y)
// Base case
if y==0
return 1
// Recursive case: x^y = x * x^(y-1)
return x * recursive_power(x, y - 1)
Example
 Given the following function:
int fun ( int x )
{
if ( x )
return 2 + fun (x – 1);
else
return 1;
}

 What is the output for the following code (show your work):
int x = 3 , result;

result = fun ( x );
cout << result;
Example

 Trace of function multiply(6 , 3) [show your work step by step]

int multiply ( int m , int n ) m * n = m + m * (n-1) base case is m * 1 = m

{
if ( n == 1 )
return m;
else
return m + multiply (m , n – 1);
}
Example

 Consider the following function:

int mystery ( int x , int y )

{
if ( x < y )
return x;
else
return m + mystery (x - y , y);
}

 For each call below, indicate what value is returned: [show your work]
mystery ( 6 , 13 )
mystery (14 , 10)
 Example

• What is the result of the following function when a=12 and b=9? Show your work.

int doit ( int a, int b )

{
if (b == 0)
return a;
else
return doit (b, a % b);
}
Exercises
 Exercise: Fibonacci Numbers
Problem Statement:

The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers in which each number is the sum of the two preceding
ones, usually starting with 0 and 1. The sequence goes:
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55 ….. and so on.

1. Setup the recurrence relation F(n) that define the sequence of Fibonacci numbers.

2. Write a pseudocode for the the recursive function fib(n) to calculate the nth Fibonacci number.

3. Implement the recursive function fib(n) ion c++ . Observe the function's behavior for larger values

of n and note any potential increase in computation time.

 Exercises
Write both iterative and recursive functions to calculate the value of the following
expression:

f(n)= (1) + (2*3) + (4*5*6) +…+ n

 Exercise
Based on your knowledge of Euclid’s Algorithm, Rewrite the algorithm using a recursive function named
Rec_Euclid.

 Recall: gcd (a , b), the greatest common divisor of two nonnegative, not both zero integers a and b
 Exercise

Write pseudocode for a recursive function to find the sum of digits of a given
number.
Example: n = 135 sum of digits = 9
 Exercise
In the lecture, we discussed a method to raise a double to an integer power. In this question, write a
recursive function that allows raising to a negative integer power as well.
 Exercise

Write a recursive function to reverse a given string.

Example:
Input String: "algorithm"
Output (Reversed): "mhtirogla"
 Exercise
Design a recursive function named displayVertically(n), that displays the digits
of the given number nonnegative integer n vertically on the screen.

For example, if n = 1984, the vertical display would be:

1. What is the base case?

2. Design the recurrence case.
3. Write pseudocode.
4. Implement the recursive function.
 Exercise
Design a recursive function with one parameter, a positive integer. When
called, the function should write its argument backward to the screen. For
instance, if the argument is 1234, the function should output the following to
the screen: 4321
 Exercise
Design a recursive function with one parameter, a positive integer. When
called, the function should write its argument backward to the screen. For
instance, if the argument is 1234, the function should output the following to
the screen: 4321
 In the upcoming chapters of this course, we will explore other interesting problems
and challenges that can be elegantly solved using recursive approaches.

Advanced topics:

1.Recursive Data Structures:

• Explore how recursion plays a pivotal role in understanding and manipulating recursive data
structures such as trees and graphs.
2.Divide and Conquer Strategies:
• Uncover the power of "divide and conquer" strategies, where recursion becomes a key player in
solving complex problems efficiently.
3.Dynamic Programming :
• A technique that often involves recursive thinking to optimize solutions for a variety of problems.
 Key Points

• Any task that can be accomplished using recursion can also be done in some other
way without using recursion (nonrecursive version).

• The recursive version may use more storage and run somewhat slower, because the
computer must do a good deal of work manipulating the stack in order to keep track
of the recursion.

• However, since the system does all this for you automatically, using recursion can
sometimes make your job as a programmer easier and can sometimes produce code
that is easier to understand
 Interactive tools and simulations
some websites that provide interactive tools and simulations to help students
understand recursion and the use of the call stack:

1. Pythontutor.com : allows you to visualize the execution of Python code, including

recursion, step by step. It provides a visual representation of the call
stack.

• Website: http://pythontutor.com

2. Visualgo.net: offers visualizations for various data structures and algorithms, including
recursion. It allows you to see how the call stack works for different
programming languages.

• Website: https://visualgo.net/en/recursion