Which of the following would be a base case for a summation algorithm (the sum of the numbers from 0 to n)?
A) If n = 0 then summation(n) = 0
B) if n 0 then summation(n) = 5
C) If n 0 then summation(n) = getValue(n)
D) If n 0 then summation(n) = n + summation(n-1)
E) None of these

Question

Which of the following would be a base case for a summation algorithm (the sum of the numbers from 0 to n)?
A) If n = 0 then summation(n) = 0
B) if n > 0 then summation(n) = 5
C) If n > 0 then summation(n) = getValue(n)
D) If n > 0 then summation(n) = n + summation(n-1)
E) None of these

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a summation algorithm, the base case should define the smallest problem size that can be solved directly without recursion. In this case, when n=0, the sum of the numbers from 0 to n is 0. Therefore, A is the correct base case. B, C, and D are not correct because they do not provide an actual result based on the input value of n.

Which of the Following Would Be a Base Case for a Summation