Question

Which of the following iterative methods is equivalent to this recursive method?

a) int foo(int n) if (n < 1) return; return n foo(n-1);
b) int foo(int n) { int x = n; while (n > 0) return x;
c) int foo(int n) int xi if (n < 1) return; while ( ne) Xn; return ;
d) none of these int foo(int n) while ( n o ) return x;

Answer 1

The equivalent iterative method to the given recursive method is option b) int foo(int n) { int x = n; while (n > 0) return x;

Step-by-step explanation:

The equivalent iterative method to the given recursive method is option b) int foo(int n) { int x = n; while (n > 0) return x; Here's a breakdown of both methods:

The given recursive method: int foo(int n) { if (n < 1) return; return n * foo(n-1); }

1. The base case is n < 1, in which case the method returns without performing any multiplication.
2. For any other value of n, the method multiplies n by the return value of the recursive call foo(n-1). This creates a chain of nested calls until the base case is reached.

The equivalent iterative method takes advantage of a while loop to achieve the same result. It initializes a variable x with the initial value of n. Then, it enters a loop as long as n is greater than 0. Inside the loop, it immediately returns the value of x.

By doing so, the iterative method effectively breaks down the recursion and achieves the same result in an iterative manner.