KwickClips Java · 41 sec · free
Why does my recursion crash with StackOverflowError?
Short answer. There is no base case, so the calls never stop.
What must the recursive case do?
Call the method with a smaller input, moving towards the base case.
Remember
| Base case: stop |
| Recursive case: smaller input |
Recursion never stops. Stack Overflow Error. What's missing? The if line is the base case. It stops the calls. The last line is the recursive case, with a smaller n. Remember. The base case stops. The recursive case shrinks the input.
This clip is from the full lesson: Recursion in Java — 8 minutes, with the tables, the quick answers and the whole lesson in text.
Useful for: ISC Class 11 Computer Science (868), ISC Class 12 Computer Science (868), ISC Class 12 Computer Science (868), Programming All levels Java
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