Recursion vs Iterations
Recursion of course is an elegant programming technique, but not the best way to solve a problem, even if it is recursive in nature. This is due to the following:
1. It requires stack implementation.
2. It makes inefficient utilization of memory, as every time a new recursive call is made a new set of local variables s allocated to function.
3. Moreover it also slows down execution speed as function calls require jumps and saving the current state of program onto stack before jump.
Though in inefficient way to solve general problems it is too handy in several problems as discussed in the starting of this chapter. It provides as programmer with certain pitfalls and quite sharp concepts about programming. Moreover recursive functions are often easier to implement and maintain particularly in case of data structures which are by nature recursive. Such data structures are queues trees and linked lists. Given below are some of the important points which differentiate iteration from recursion.
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S.No
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Iteration
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Recursion
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1.
2.
3.
4.
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It is a process of executing a statement or a set of statements repeatedly, until some specific condition is specified.
Iteration involves four clear cut steps initialization, condition execution and updating.
Any recursive of a problem can be solved iteratively.
Iterative counterpart of a problem is more efficient in terms of memory utilization and execution speed.
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Recursion is the technique of defining anything in terms of itself.
There must be an exclusive if statement inside the recursive function, specifying stopping condition.
Not all problems have recursive solution.
Recursion is generally a worse option to go for simple problems, or problems not recursive in nature.
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