Question 1

Each time a function is called in a recursive solution,the system incurs overhead that is not incurred with a loop.

Accepted Answer

This is true because with each recursive function call, the system must allocate memory for the function call stack and push new values onto the stack, leading to additional overhead that is not present in a loop.

Question 2

In a recursive solution,if the problem cannot be solved now,then a recursive function reduces it to a smaller but similar problem and
A) exits
B) returns to the main function
C) returns to the calling function
D) calls itself to solve the smaller problem

Accepted Answer

If the problem cannot be solved now, then the recursive function should call itself to solve the smaller but similar problem. This will continue until a base case is reached and the problem can be solved. Once the base case is reached, the function will return the solution to the calling function.

Question 3

The process of calling a function requires
A) a slow memory access
B) a quick memory access
C) several actions to be performed by the computer
D) one action to be performed by the computer

Accepted Answer

Calling a function involves several actions such as passing arguments, jumping to the function's code, and possibly saving the current state of the program for when the function returns.

Question 4

What is the first step to take in order to apply a recursive approach?
A) Identify at least one case in which the problem can be solved without recursion.
B) Determine a way to solve the problem in all circumstances using recursion.
C) Identify a way to stop the recursion.
D) Determine a way to return to the main function.

Accepted Answer

Before applying a recursive approach, we need to identify at least one scenario in which the problem can be solved without recursion. This case is called the base case or the terminating condition.

Question 5

What is the second step to take in order to apply a recursive approach?
A) Identify at least one case in which the problem can be solved without recursion.
B) Determine a way to use recursion to solve the problem in all circumstances which cannot be solved without recursion.
C) Determine a way to return to the main function.
D) Identify a way to stop the recursion.

Accepted Answer

The second step in applying a recursive approach, after identifying the base case (the scenario where the problem can be solved without recursion), is to determine how to break down the larger problem into smaller instances that can be solved recursively. This involves figuring out how to use recursion to solve all other cases that cannot be directly solved without recursion.

Question 6

If a recursive solution is evident for a particular problem,and if the recursive algorithm does not slow system performance by an intolerable amount,then recursion would probably be a good design choice.

Accepted Answer

Recursion can be an efficient and elegant solution for problems that have a natural recursive structure, such as tree traversals and certain sorting algorithms. However, it is important to consider the performance implications of recursion, especially for large and complex input sizes, as the recursive overhead can lead to stack overflow errors and reduced system performance. In general, it is recommended to benchmark and profile both recursive and non-recursive implementations of a problem to determine the optimal design choice.

Question 7

If,in a recursive solution,function A calls function B which calls function C,this is called __________ recursion.
A) continuous
B) direct
C) three function call
D) indirect

Accepted Answer

If function A calls function B which calls function C, this is called indirect recursion. In this case, there is no direct relationship or linkage between the first and last function in the sequence. Instead, each function relies on one or more intermediary functions to complete the recursive cycle.

Question 8

There must be only one function involved in any recursive solution.

Accepted Answer

A recursive solution may involve multiple functions, such as a main recursive function and any helper functions or utilities that may be necessary to complete the calculation.

Question 9

If a problem can be solved immediately without recursion,then the recursive function
A) solves it and returns
B) exits
C) returns a default value
D) generates a run-time error

Accepted Answer

If a problem can be solved immediately without recursion, then the recursive function will solve it and return. The function will not exit, return a default value, or generate a runtime error as the problem has been solved correctly.

Question 10

The base case is the case in which the problem can be solved without
A) loops
B) decisions
C) objects
D) recursion

Accepted Answer

The base case is the case in which the problem can be solved without recursion. Recursion involves breaking down a problem into smaller subproblems, so the base case should be the simplest subproblem that does not require further recursion. The other options (loops, decisions, and objects) may all be necessary in solving the problem, but they do not directly relate to the concept of a base case.

Question 11

A recursive function must have some way to control the number of times it repeats.

Accepted Answer

If a recursive function does not have a way to control the number of times it repeats, it will continue indefinitely, causing a stack overflow error. Therefore, a recursive function must have some condition or base case that will eventually stop the recursion.

Question 12

When,in a recursive solution,function A calls function B which,in turn,calls function A,this is known as indirect recursion.

Accepted Answer

Indirect recursion is a type of recursion where two or more functions call each other recursively. In the given scenario, function A calls function B and function B calls function A, thus it is an example of indirect recursion.

Question 13

Recursion is sometimes required to solve certain types of problems.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recursion is sometimes required to solve certain...

Question 14

Which of the following describes the base case in a recursive solution?
A) a case in which the problem can be solved without recursion
B) the case in which the problem is solved through recursion
C) the way to stop the recursion
D) the way to return to the main function

Accepted Answer

The base case in a recursive solution is the case in which the problem can be solved without recursion, i.e., it is the simplest or smallest version of the problem that can be solved directly, without further recursion. It serves as the "base" for the recursive algorithm to build upon, and allows the recursion to be stopped once the desired outcome has been reached.

Question 15

A problem can normally be solved with recursion if it can be broken down into smaller problems that are identical in structure to the overall problem.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Recursion involves breaking down a problem into smaller sub-problems that are similar in structure to the original problem, and then solving each sub-problem recursively until a base case is reached. This approach is especially useful for solving problems that exhibit recursive patterns or structures.

Question 16

Recursion is
A) never required to solve a problem
B) required to solve certain mathematical problems
C) sometimes required to solve string problems
D) required to solve some problems

Accepted Answer

The answer of Recursion is
A) never required to solve a...

Question 17

A base case is not necessary for all recursive algorithms.

Accepted Answer

A base case is necessary for all recursive algorithms as it serves as the stopping criteria for the recursion. Without a base case, the recursion will continue indefinitely, leading to a stack overflow or infinite loop.

Question 18

Recursive algorithms are always more concise and efficient than iterative algorithms.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. Recursive algorithms can be more concise but they usually use more memory and are less efficient than iterative algorithms in terms of time complexity. It is also important to note that recursive algorithms can cause stack overflow errors if the recursion depth is too large.

Question 19

A problem can be solved with recursion if it can be broken down into __________ problems.
A) smaller
B) one-line
C) manageable
D) modular

Accepted Answer

Recursion involves breaking down a problem into smaller subproblems and solving them recursively. Therefore, a problem can be solved with recursion if it can be broken down into smaller problems. Choices B, C, and D may or may not be true in certain cases but are not specific enough to be the best choice.

Question 20

In many cases it is easier to see how to solve a problem with recursion than with a loop.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In many cases it is easier to...

Quiz 12: Recursion

Each time a function is called in a recursive solution,the system incurs overhead that is not incurred with a loop.

In a recursive solution,if the problem cannot be solved now,then a recursive function reduces it to a smaller but similar problem and

The process of calling a function requires

What is the first step to take in order to apply a recursive approach?

What is the second step to take in order to apply a recursive approach?

If a recursive solution is evident for a particular problem,and if the recursive algorithm does not slow system performance by an intolerable amount,then recursion would probably be a good design choice.

If,in a recursive solution,function A calls function B which calls function C,this is called __________ recursion.

There must be only one function involved in any recursive solution.

If a problem can be solved immediately without recursion,then the recursive function

The base case is the case in which the problem can be solved without