Recursion and Tail Calls
In this chapter, we will look at the concept of recursion, which is particularly powerful for tackling problems with inherent hierarchical or repetitive structures, such as directory traversal, parsing nested data formats, or implementing algorithms on tree-like data structures.
As we delve into recursion, we’ll explore its two main components: the base case and the recursive case. The base case acts as a stop signal for recursion, preventing infinite loops, while the recursive case is where the function makes progress toward the base case. In addition to these cases, we will discuss the following topics:
- Types of recursion: simple and tail recursions
- Challenges of recursion: stack overflow risk and performance considerations
- C# features for recursion: local functions and pattern matching
- Advanced recursive patterns: mutual recursion and memoization
- Comparison with iterative solutions: readability and performance
- Recursion...