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Kotlin Recursion
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In this tutorial, we will learn Kotlin Recursive function. Like other programming
languages, we can use recursion in Kotlin. A function that calls itself is called a
recursive function and this process of repetition is called recursion. Whenever
a function is called then there are two possibilities:
1. Normal function call
2. Recursive function call
Normal function call
When a function is called from main() block then it is called a normal function
call. In below example, sum() is called at a time and it executes its instruction
and terminate with returning the sum of number. If we want to execute the
function again then we should call sum() from the main block one more time.
Calling sum() function from main() block –
Recursive Function Call
When a function calls itself then it is called recursive function call. Every
recursive function should have terminate condition else program executions
enters in infinite loop and results into stack overflow error.
Calling callMe() function from its own block –
Here, we have used the terminate condition if( a > 0) else it enters the infinite
loop. And it prints the value from 5 down to 0.
Example 1: Find the factorial of a number without using the terminate
condition.
Java
// Kotlin program of factorial using recursion
fun Fact(num: Int):Long{
return num*Fact(num-1) // no terminate condition
}
//main method
fun main()
{
println("Factorial of 5 is: " + Fact(5))
// Recursive call
}
Output:
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.StackOverflowError
Example 2: Find the factorial of a number with using terminate condition.
Java
// Kotlin program of factorial using recursion
fun Fact(num
: Int)
: Long
{
return if (num == 1) num.toLong() // terminate condition
else num
* Fact(num - 1)
}
// main method
fun main()
{
println("Factorial of 5 is: " + Fact(5))
// Recursive call
}
Output:
Factorial of 5 is: 120
Working of factorial program –
The recursive call of Fact() is explained step by step in the following figure:-
Example 3:
Find the sum of elements of an array using recursion
Java
// two parameters passed an array and size of array
fun sum(args
: Array<Int>, index
: Int)
: Int
{
return if (index <= 0) 0 else(
sum(args, index - 1)
+ args[index - 1]) // recursive function call
}
fun main()
{
// array initialization
val array = arrayOf(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
// size of array
val n
= array.size val result
= sum(array, n) // normal function call
println("The sum of array elements is: $result")
}
Output:
The sum of array elements is: 55
Explanation: Here, we have initialized an array and passed as an argument to
the sum() function. In each recursive call the index value decrement by one. If
the index equal to zero or less than then terminate it and return the sum of all
the elements.
Advantages of recursion in Kotlin:
1. Improved code readability and maintainability: Recursive functions often
make the code more concise and easier to understand, especially for
complex problems.
2. Easy implementation of algorithms: Many algorithms, such as the Tower of
Hanoi, can be easily implemented using recursion.
3. Reusability: Recursive functions can often be reused for similar problems,
reducing the need to write new code.
Disadvantages of recursion in Kotlin:
1. Increased memory usage: Each recursive call adds a new function call to the
call stack, which can lead to stack overflow errors for large data sets.
2. Performance: Recursive algorithms are often slower than iterative
algorithms, as they require more memory and CPU cycles.
Last Updated : 09 Feb, 2023 16
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