Course Description
Recursive functions are useful because many times the solution to a problem lends itself to recursion. However, many beginning programmers have problems with recursion because they have never been exposed to the concept.
Defining a function recursively involves understanding how recursive solutions are built. In these lessons, we’ll discuss how to write recursive functions. A recursive function is a function that calls itself in its definition. We’ll begin by demonstrating recursion through computing factorials. Then we’ll move on to a more complex recursive function—computing a term in the Fibonacci sequence. You’ll learn how to perform a simple process recursively, and conclude by comparing the recursive solution vs. the iterative solution for computing powers of numbers.
Learning Objectives
- Define recursion and explain its use in programming
- Understand how to compute factorials using recursion
- Explain how to compute Fibonacci sequence terms using recursion
- Know how to print the contents of an array using recursion
- Describe the difference between recursive solutions and iterative solutions
Skills You Will Learn
- C (Programming Language)
- Modular Programming In C
- Programming Concepts
- Recursion
- Recurrence Relation
- Recursive Descent
What You'll Learn
- Define recursion and explain its use in programming
- Write recursive functions, understanding how recursive solutions are built
- Compute factorials using recursion
- Compute terms in the Fibonacci sequence using recursion
- Print the contents of an array using recursion
- Describe the difference between recursive and iterative solutions for computing powers of numbers
Key Takeaways
- A recursive function is a function that calls itself in its definition.
- Recursive functions are useful because many problems have solutions that lend themselves naturally to recursion.
- The course demonstrates recursion first through computing factorials, then through the more complex example of computing a term in the Fibonacci sequence.
- The course compares the recursive solution against the iterative solution for computing powers of numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this C programming course cover?
It covers how to write recursive functions in C, including defining a function recursively, computing factorials with recursion, computing terms in the Fibonacci sequence, printing the contents of an array recursively, and comparing recursive versus iterative solutions for computing powers of numbers.
Who is this course for?
It is aimed at beginning programmers who have not previously been exposed to the concept of recursion and often have problems with it.
What lessons are included?
The course includes three lessons: Recursion Basics; Defining and Using the Factorial Function; and Defining the Power Function.
What skills will I gain from this course?
You will build skills in C (Programming Language), Modular Programming in C, Programming Concepts, Recursion, Recurrence Relation, and Recursive Descent.
What example does the course use to introduce recursion?
It begins by demonstrating recursion through computing factorials, then moves on to a more complex recursive function for computing a term in the Fibonacci sequence.
