A recursive function in which the last statement executed is the recursive call is called a(n) ____ recursive function.
A) direct
B) tail
C) indefinite
D) indirect

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A tail recursive function is a recursive function in which the recursive call is the last statement executed in the function. This makes it more memory efficient than other types of recursive functions because the compiler can optimize it to replace the current call frame with the new one, rather than adding it to a call stack. Direct and indirect recursive functions refer to whether the function calls itself (direct) or calls another function which eventually calls it (indirect), while indefinite recursive functions do not have a fixed number of calls and may never terminate.

A Recursive Function in Which the Last Statement Executed Is