Recursion
From Wikipedia: Recursion occurs when a thing is defined in terms of
itself or its type.
Example:
Fibonacci numbers
for ,
def my_print():
print(“This is ES 113 class”)
my_print()
my_print()
Question: What is the output of this program?
An infinite loop that prints “This is ES 113 class”
def my_print(count):
if count == 0: Stopping condition
return
print(“This is ES 113 class”)
my_print(count-1)
my_print(3)
Question: What is the output of this program?
Prints “This is ES 113 class” three times.
Write a python code that find the Fibonacci number.
def fibo():
if or
return 1
return fibo( + fibo()
def fibo():
if or :
return 1
return fibo( + fibo()
fibo(1) returns 1
ret
1
ns
urn
ur
ret
s1
fibo(2) returns 1
2 1
fibo(3)
def fibo():
if or :
return 1
return fibo(2 + fibo()
3
def fibo():
if or :
ret
1
ns
return 1
urn
ur
ret
s1
return 1 + 1
2 3
fibo(2) returns 2
Write a program that prints that takes an integer and prints stars on
the line for .
def stars():
int(input())
stars
stars()
: denotes the fact that we are printing the the line.
Initially
: denotes the fact that there are lines to be printed
def stars():
count =
while < count:
print ( “*“, end = “ “)
int(input())
stars
Question: Is this program correct?
A lots of problems:
• Infinite while loop
• The first line contains 2 stars
• The program is just printing the first line
def stars():
count =
while < count:
print ( “*“, end=“ ”)
print()
stars(
int(input())
stars
Question: Is this program correct?
One last problem
• The program does not stop. Need a stopping condition.
def stars():
if :
return
count =
while < count:
print ( “*“, end=“ ”)
print()
stars(
int(input())
stars
Given a number , print all binary number on digits in order.
For , print
000
001
010
011
100
101
110
111
def binary(str):
int(input())
binary(“”, )
binary(str):
1. str: binary string that we will print.
2. Initially str=“”
3. : denotes the fact that the binary numbers have digits.
def binary(str):
binary(str+,
binary(str+,)
int(input())
binary(“”, )
Question: Is this program correct?
“”
“0”
“00”
“000”
Need a stopping condition
“0000”
def binary(str):
if len(str) == :
print(str)
return
binary(str+,
binary(str+,)
int(input())
binary(“”, )
“”
“0” “1”
“00” “01” “10” “11”
“000” “001” “010” “011” “100” “101” “110” “111”
Given two numbers , print all digit numbers using whose digits are in
increasing order.
Example: ,
11 :
10 :
12 :
Given two numbers , print all digit numbers using whose digits are in
increasing order.
Example: ,
Your program should output:
12
13
23
def order(string):
int(input())
int(input())
order(“”,, )
order(str):
string: string that we will print.
Initially string=“”
: the string should contain digits
: each digit should be from
def order(string):
while <= :
order(string+ str())
int(input())
int(input())
order(“”,, )
Question: Is this program correct?
Problems
• The program does not stop. Need a stopping condition.
• The program prints all two digit numbers
def order(string):
if len(string) == :
print(string)
return
while <= :
order(string+ str())
int(input())
int(input())
order(“”,, )
Problems
• The program does not stop. Need a stopping condition.
• The program prints all two digit numbers
def order(string):
if len(string) == :
print(string)
return
int(string[-1])+1
while <= :
order(string+ str())
int(input())
int(input())
order(“”,, )
Problems
• Does not work when the string is of length 0.
def order(string):
if len(string) == :
print(string)
return
if len(string)==0:
else:
int(string[-1])+1
while <= :
order(string+ str())
int(input())
int(input())
order(“”,, )
“”
“1” “2” “3”
“12” “13” “23”
def order(string):
if len(string) == :
print(string)
return
if len(string)==0:
else:
int(string[-1])+1
while <= :
order(string+ str())
int(input())
int(input())
order(“”,, )
Tower of Hanoi
A B C
Need to move disk from peg A to peg C under the following
conditions:
1. Only one disk may be moved at a time.
2. Each move consists of taking the upper disk from one of the peg
and placing it on top of another peg.
3. No disk may be placed on top of a disk that is smaller than it.
A B C
Strategy:
1. Move the top two disks from peg A to peg B using peg C.
2. Move the largest disk from peg A to peg C.
3. Move the top two disks from peg B to peg C using peg A.
def tower(A,B,C,):
int(input())
tower(“A”,”B”,”C”,)
tower(A, B, C, ):
1. Move disks from peg1 to peg3 using peg2.
2. Initially,
• A = ”A”
• B = “B”
• C = “C”
3. All the disks are on peg A.
def tower(A,B,C,):
1. Move the top two disks from peg A to peg B using peg C.
2. Move the largest disk from peg A to peg C.
3. Move the top two disks from peg B to peg C using peg A.
int(input())
tower(“A”,”B”,”C”,)
tower(p, peg2, peg3, ):
1. Move disks from peg1 to peg3 using peg2.
2. Initially,
• peg1 = ”A”
• peg2 = “B”
• peg3 = “C”
3. All the disks are on peg A.
def tower(A,B,C,):
1. Move the disks from peg A to peg B using peg C.
2. Move the largest disk from peg A to peg C.
3. Move the disks from peg B to peg C using peg A.
int(input())
tower(“A”,”B”,”C”,)
tower(p, peg2, peg3, ):
1. Move disks from peg1 to peg3 using peg2.
2. Initially,
• peg1 = ”A”
• peg2 = “B”
• peg3 = “C”
3. All the disks are on peg A.
def tower(A,B,C,):
Move the disks from peg A to peg B using peg C.
tower(A,C,B,)
Move the largest disk from peg A to peg C.
print( “move the disk from ” + A + “ to “ + C)
Move the disks from peg B to peg C using peg A.
tower(B,A,C,)
int(input())
tower(“A”,”B”,”C”,)
tower(p, peg2, peg3, ):
1. Move disks from peg1 to peg3 using peg2.
2. Initially,
• peg1 = ”A”
• peg2 = “B”
• peg3 = “C”
3. All the disks are on peg A.
def tower(A,B,C,):
tower(A,C,B,)
print( “move the disk from ” + A + “ to “ + C)
tower(B,A,C,)
int(input())
tower(“A”,”B”,”C”,)
Question: Is this program correct?
• The program does not stop. Need a stopping condition.
• Think about the stopping condition when
def tower(A,B,C,):
if :
return
tower(A,C,B,)
print( “move the disk from ” + A + “ to “ + C)
tower(B,A,C,)
int(input())
tower(“A”,”B”,”C”,)
A,B,C,2
A,C,B,1 B,A,C,1
A,B,C,0 C,A,B,0 B,C,A,0 A,B,C,0
Move the disk from peg A to peg B Move the disk from peg A to peg C Move the disk from peg B to peg C
