Recursive Algorithm
Domain: Algorithms
🎯 Motivation
An algorithm that solves a problem by calling itself on a smaller version of the same problem. Elegant for self-similar structures like trees.
📋 Concrete Example
def factorial(n): if n <= 1: return 1; return n * factorial(n-1). factorial(4) = 4 * 3 * 2 * 1 = 24. Each call works on a smaller n.
🔗 Analogy
Russian nesting dolls. To count all dolls, you open the outer one, count it as 1, then count the inner dolls the same way. You stop when there are no more dolls inside.