juniorRecursion

Explain Direct vs. Indirect Recursion.

Updated Apr 28, 2026

Short answer

Direct: A calls A. Indirect: A calls B, B calls A.

Deep explanation

Recursion allows for elegant solutions to hierarchical problems. Direct: A calls A. Indirect: A calls B, B calls A. However, it requires careful handling of the stack to prevent memory exhaustion.

Real-world example

Traversing a family tree.

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting the base case, leading to infinite recursion.

Follow-up questions

  • What is the space complexity?

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