Exam 7: Recursive Algorithms

After reading the specifications for a project, a good programmer should put together a set of questions for the person who provided the specifications.

The pseudocode for an iterative method is shown below. What statement is missing from the area labeled (b)? Sailboat.sail to (target) (a) ( not [sailboat is within 5 meters of target] ) { Do together { Sailboat.turn to face target Sailboat.move forward 2 meters } } (b)

Seemingly random events, such as an electronic interference in a telephone circuit, can be described using recursive functions.

A method that uses linear recursion can very quickly generate many copies of itself to work simultaneously on smaller examples of the overall problem.

An object is really just a set of instructions describing how to complete a process.

There is some evidence that the human brain is recursive.

Often it is better to use recursion instead of iteration for methods that can be written using a simple loop.

In Alice, the ____ button can be used if you are unhappy with one of your moves.

The following short story is considered to be recursive: Once upon a time a young princess was sitting with her father, the king. She said to her father, "My Royal Father, can you read me a story?" Yes, my Royal Daughter," said the king, as he opened the Royal Storybook. He began to read, "Once upon a time a young princess was sitting with her father, the king. She said to her father, 'My Royal Father, can you read me a story?'" "Yes, my Royal Daughter," said the king, as he opened the Royal Storybook. He began to read, "Once upon a time a young princess was sitting with her father, the king. She said to her father, 'My Royal Father, can you read me a story?' . . ."

The Sierpinski gasket algorithm splits the triangle into four smaller triangles, and then calls itself for three of the four smaller triangles.