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Recursion for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: ri'kɜrʃən

What does Recursion really mean?

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Hey there! So, I'm here to help you understand what the word "recursion" means. It might sound like a big and complicated word at first, but trust me, it's not as tough as it seems.

Okay, let's start with what it actually means. Recursion is a super cool concept that happens when something keeps repeating in a self-referential way. It's like when you have a mirror facing another mirror and you see infinite reflections of yourself. That's recursion in action!

Now, I know that might still sound a bit confusing, so let me give you an example to make it crystal clear. Imagine you have a box that contains a smaller box inside, and inside that smaller box, there's an even smaller box, and so on. This series of boxes nestled inside each other is an example of recursion. Each smaller box is like a mini version of the bigger box, and it keeps repeating in a kind of loop. Cool, right?

But wait, there's more! Recursion can also be used in computer programming. It's like when a program calls itself to solve a problem. Imagine you have to solve a puzzle, and to solve it, you break it down into smaller, easier puzzles that are of the same type. Each time you solve one of these smaller puzzles, you're actually using recursion. It helps you solve the big problem by solving smaller versions of it until you reach the simplest one.

So, to sum it up, recursion means something that keeps repeating itself in a self-referential way. It's like seeing infinite reflections in a mirror or having a set of boxes within boxes. In computer programming, recursion helps us solve big problems by breaking them down into smaller, easier versions.

I hope that explanation makes sense! If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask. I'm here to help you understand. So don't worry, you got this!

Revised and Fact checked by James Lee on 2023-10-29 15:55:10

Recursion In a sentece

Learn how to use Recursion inside a sentece

  • When you use a mirror to see your reflection, and in that reflection you can see yourself holding another mirror, and in that mirror's reflection you can see yourself holding yet another mirror, and so on, that is an example of recursion.
  • Imagine you have a set of nesting dolls, where one doll is placed inside the other. Each doll inside contains another doll, and this pattern continues. This is an example of recursion.
  • In a book, there might be a story within the story, and inside that story, there could be another story, and so on. This nesting of stories is an example of recursion.
  • When you fold a piece of paper in half, and then fold it in half again, and keep repeating this process multiple times, it demonstrates recursion.
  • When you play a game of tic-tac-toe, and at some point, the game board is in a state similar to a previous position of the game, it shows recursion because the game is repeating a position it had before.

Recursion Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Recursion Category

The domain category to which the original word belongs.