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5/24/22, 6:46 PM Types of Recursion in C - javatpoint

Types of Recursion in C
This section will discuss the different types of recursion in the C programming language. Recursion is the process in
which a function calls itself up to n-number of times. If a program allows the user to call a function inside the same
function recursively, the procedure is called a recursive call of the function. Furthermore, a recursive function can call
itself directly or indirectly in the same program.

Syntax of the Recursion function

void recursion ()
{
recursion(); // The recursive function calls itself inside the same function
}
int main ()
{
recursion (); // function call
}

In the above syntax, the main() function calls the recursion function only once. After that, the recursion function calls
itself up to the defined condition, and if the user doesn't define the condition, it calls the same function infinite
times.

Different types of the recursion

Following are the types of the recursion in C programming language, as follows:

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5/24/22, 6:46 PM Types of Recursion in C - javatpoint

1. Direct Recursion

2. Indirect Recursion

3. Tail Recursion

4. No Tail/ Head Recursion

5. Linear recursion

6. Tree Recursion

Direct Recursion

When a function calls itself within the same function repeatedly, it is called the direct recursion.

Structure of the direct recursion

fun()
{
// write some code
fun();
// some code
}

In the above structure of the direct recursion, the outer fun() function recursively calls the inner fun() function, and
this type of recursion is called the direct recursion.

Let's write a program to demonstrate the direct recursion in C programming language.

Program2.c

#include<stdio.h>
int fibo_num (int i)
{
// if the num i is equal to 0, return 0;
if ( i == 0)
{
return 0;
}
if ( i == 1)
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{
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return 1;
}
return fibo_num (i - 1) + fibonacci (i -2);
}
int main ()
{
int i;
// use for loop to get the first 10 fibonacci series
for ( i = 0; i < 10; i++)
{
printf (" %d \t ", fibo_num (i));
}
return 0;
}

Output

0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34

Indirect Recursion

When a function is mutually called by another function in a circular manner, the function is called an indirect
recursion function.

Structure of the indirect recursion

fun1()
{
// write some code
fun2()
}
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fun2()
{
// write some code
fun3()
// write some code
}
fun3()
{
// write some code
fun1()
}

In this structure, there are four functions, fun1(), fun2(), fun3() and fun4(). When the fun1() function is executed, it
calls the fun2() for its execution. And then, the fun2() function starts its execution calls the fun3() function. In this
way, each function leads to another function to makes their execution circularly. And this type of approach is called
indirect recursion.

Let's write a program to demonstrate the indirect recursion in C programming language.

Program3.c

#include <stdio.h>
// declaration of the odd and even() function
void odd(); // Add 1 when the function is odd()
void even(); // Subtract 1 when the function is even
int num = 1; // global variable
void odd ()
{
// if statement check and execute the block till n is less than equal to 10
if (num <= 10)
{
printf (" %d ", num + 1); // print a number by adding 1
num++; // increment by 1
even(); // invoke the even function
}
return;
}
void even ()
{
// if block check the condition that n is less than equal to 10
if ( num
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5/24/22, 6:46 PM Types of Recursion in C - javatpoint

{
printf (" %d ", num - 1); // print a number by subtracting 1
num++;
odd(); // call the odd() function
}
return;
}
int main ()
{
odd(); // main call the odd() function at once
return 0;
}

Output

2 1 4 3 6 5 8 7 10 9

Tail Recursion

A recursive function is called the tail-recursive if the function makes recursive calling itself, and that recursive call is
the last statement executes by the function. After that, there is no function or statement is left to call the recursive
function.

Let's write a program to demonstrate the tail recursion in C programming language.

Program4.c

#include <stdio.h>
// function definition
void fun1( int num)
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// if block check the condition

if (num == 0)
return;
else
printf ("\n Number is: %d", num); // print the number
return fun1 (num - 1); // recursive call at the end in the fun() function
}
int main ()
{
fun1(7); // pass 7 as integer argument
return 0;
}

Output

Number is: 7
Number is: 6
Number is: 5
Number is: 4
Number is: 3
Number is: 2
Number is: 1

Non-Tail / Head Recursion

A function is called the non-tail or head recursive if a function makes a recursive call itself, the recursive call will be
the first statement in the function. It means there should be no statement or operation is called before the recursive
calls. Furthermore, the head recursive does not perform any operation at the time of recursive calling. Instead, all
operations are done at the return time.

Let's write a program to demonstrate the Head/Non-Tail recursion in C programming language.

Program5.c

#include <stdio.h>
void head_fun (int num)
{
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if ( num >TO
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{
// Here the head_fun() is the first statement to be called
head_fun (num -1);
printf (" %d", num);
}
}
int main ()
{
int a = 5;
printf (" Use of Non-Tail/Head Recursive function \n");
head_fun (a); // function calling
return 0;
}

Output

Use of Non-Tail/Head Recursive function

1 2 3 4 5

Linear Recursion

A function is called the linear recursive if the function makes a single call to itself at each time the function runs and
grows linearly in proportion to the size of the problem.

Let's write a program to demonstrate the linear Recursion in C programming language.

Program6.c

#include <stdio.h>
#define NUM 7
int rec_num( int *arr, int n)
{
if (n == 1)
{
return arr[0];
}
return Max_num (rec_num (arr, n-1), arr[n-1]);
}
// get the maximum number
int Max_num (int n, int m)
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5/24/22, 6:46 PM Types of Recursion in C - javatpoint

if (n > m)
return n;
return m;
}
int main ()
{
// declare and initialize an array
int arr[NUM] = { 4, 8, 23, 19, 5, 35, 2};
int max = rec_num(arr, NUM); // call function
printf (" The maximum number is: %d\n", max); // print the largest number
}

Output

The maximum number is: 35

Tree Recursion

A function is called the tree recursion, in which the function makes more than one call to itself within the recursive
function.

Let's write a program to demonstrate the tree recursion in C programming language.

Program7.c

#include <stdio.h>
// It is called multiple times inside the fibo_num function
int fibo_num (int num)
{
if (num <= 1)
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num;

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5/24/22, 6:46 PM Types of Recursion in C - javatpoint

return fibo_num (num - 1 ) + fibo_num(num - 2);

}
void main()
{
int num = 7;
printf (" Use of Tree Recursion: \n");
// print the number
printf (" The Fibonacci number is: %d", fibo_num(7));
}

Output

Use of Tree Recursion:

The Fibonacci number is: 13

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