How does a recursive function differ from a normal function in calling?

It calls itself directly or indirectly

It must be called from main only

Compared with a normal function, a recursive function is usually

slower and uses more stack, with risk of stack overflow

2075 Baisakh · 3 marks

Normal vs recursive function

Short answer

A normal function is called by others and uses loops for repetition, while a recursive function calls itself, requires a base case, and uses the call stack for repetition. Recursion may be slower and use more memory but simplifies code for problems like tree traversal.

Distinguish between normal function and recursive function.

Basis	Normal (non-recursive) function	Recursive function
Calling	Called by other functions, never by itself	Calls itself (directly or indirectly)
Termination	Ends after its statements run	Needs a base case, else infinite recursion
Repetition	Uses loops (for, while)	Repetition by repeated self-calls
Memory	One stack frame per call	Many frames at once; stack overflow possible
Speed	Usually faster	Usually slower (call overhead)
Code	Can be longer for some problems	Short and clear for tree, TOH, factorial type problems
Example	`sum = a + b;`	`fact(n) = n * fact(n-1)`

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

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