recursive

3 definitions found

recursive - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  algorithmic \algorithmic\ adj.
     1. of or pertaining to an algorithm. recursive
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. definitively solvable by a finite number of steps; -- said
        of mathematical or logical problems. Contrasted with
        heuristic.
        [WordNet 1.5]

recursive - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  recursive
      adj 1: of or relating to a recursion

recursive - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  recursion
  mutually recursive
  mutual recursion
  recurse
  recursive
  
     <mathematics, programming> When a function (or procedure)
     calls itself.  Such a function is called "recursive".  If the
     call is via one or more other functions then this group of
     functions are called "mutually recursive".
  
     If a function will always call itself, however it is called,
     then it will never terminate.  Usually however, it first
     performs some test on its arguments to check for a "base case"
     - a condition under which it can return a value without
     calling itself.
  
     The canonical example of a recursive function is
     factorial:
  
     	factorial 0 = 1
     	factorial n = n * factorial (n-1)
  
     Functional programming languages rely heavily on recursion,
     using it where a procedural language would use iteration.
  
     See also recursion, recursive definition, tail recursion.
  
     [Jargon File]
  
     (1996-05-11)