Recursion: Difference between revisions

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<!-- Making the Recursion article link to itself will not display correctly, and is considered to break [[WP:ASTONISH]]. The joke itself is already featured in the "Recursive humor" section. See discussion on the talk page. -->[[File:Recursion6.gif|thumb|A recursive animation of a [[clock]]]]

'''Recursion''' occurs when the definition of an [[entity]] is itself that [[entity]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Causey |first=Robert L. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/62093042 |title=Logic, sets, and recursion |date=2006 |publisher=Jones and Bartlett Publishers |isbn=0-7637-3784-4 |edition=2nd|___location=Sudbury, Mass. |oclc=62093042}}</ref> Recursion is used in a variety of disciplines ranging from [[linguistics]] to [[logic]]. The most common application of recursion is in [[mathematics]] and [[computer science]], where a [[function (mathematics)|function]] being defined is applied within its own definition. While this apparently make an infinite number of instances, it is often done in such a way that no [[infinite loop]] can occur.

[[File:Droste Cacao Alcalinise blikje, foto4.JPG|thumb|A visual form of recursion known as the [[Droste effect]]. The woman in this image holds an object that contains a smaller image of her holding an identical object, which in turn contains a smaller image of herself holding an identical object, and so forth. 1904 Droste [[hot chocolate|cocoa]] tin, designed by Jan Misset]]

'''Recursion''' occurs when the definition of ana [[entity]]concept isor itselfprocess thatdepends [[entity]]on a simpler version of itself.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Causey |first=Robert L. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/62093042 |title=Logic, sets, and recursion |date=2006 |publisher=Jones and Bartlett Publishers |isbn=0-7637-3784-4 |edition=2nd|___location=Sudbury, Mass. |oclc=62093042}}</ref> Recursion is used in a variety of disciplines ranging from [[linguistics]] to [[logic]]. The most common application of recursion is in [[mathematics]] and [[computer science]], where a [[function (mathematics)|function]] being defined is applied within its own definition. While this apparently makedefines an infinite number of instances (function values), it is often done in such a way that no [[infinite loop]] or infinite chain of references can occur.

A process that exhibits recursion is ''recursive''.