How to write a recursive function in R?
This recipe helps you write a recursive function in R
Recipe Objective
Recursion is a type of looping mechanism which exploits the working of functions in R. In R, recursion occurs when the function calls itself which results in a formation of loop.
Functions which uses the concept of rescursion to perform iterative tasks are known as Recursive functions.
Loops are an important feature in R-language but it increases the memory requirements of a program. Thus, recursive function is a better alternative than using a loop in many cases as it frees up memory used after every iteration.
In this recipe, we will learn how to write a recursive function in R by using an example of factorial using recursion in R.
Example: Factorial using Resursive function in R
Factorial of a number is calculated by the given formula: n! = (n)(n-1)(n-2)(n-3)....1
Steps to be followed:
- Creation of a recursive function using if..else statement
- Calling the function and getting an output
# 1. creation of a recursive function
rec_func_factorial = function(n){
if (n == 0 || n == 1){
return (1)
} else {
return(n*rec_func_factorial(n-1))
}
}
# 2. calling the function
#calculating the factorial of 3
rec_func_factorial(3)
6
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