Recursion

Recursion is the process of repeating items in a self-similar way.

Description

For instance, when the surfaces of two mirrors are exactly parallel with each other, the nested images that occur are a form of infinite recursion.

The term has a variety of meanings specific to a variety of disciplines ranging from linguistics to logic.

The most common application of recursion is in mathematics and computer science, in which it refers to a method of defining functions in which the function being defined is applied within its own definition.

Specifically, this defines an infinite number of instances (function values), using a finite expression that for some instances may refer to other instances, but in such a way that no loop or infinite chain of references can occur.

(TO DO: clarify "function")

General usage

The term recursion is also used more generally to describe a process of repeating objects in a self-similar way.

See also

• Chaos theory
• Computability theory
• Computer science
• Corecursion
• Course-of-values recursion
• Digital infinity
• Fixed point combinator
• Infinite loop
• Infinitism
• Iterated function
• Linguistics
• Logic
• Mathematical logic
• Mathematics
• Mise en abyme
• Pattern
• Recursion (computer science)
• Recursive definition
• Reentrant (subroutine)
• Self-reference
• Self-similarity
• Strange loop
• Tail recursion
• Tupper's self-referential formula
• Turtles all the way down

External links

• Recursion @ Wikipedia