Simple Steps to Write a Recursive Algorithm

Writing a recursive algorithm might sound tricky, but it's actually pretty easy! Here’s a simple guide to help you.

1. Understand the Problem: First, know exactly what problem you want to solve. One common example is finding the factorial of a number, which is written as $n!$.

2. Find the Base Case: This is the point where you stop your recursion. For the factorial, the base case is $1! = 1$ and $0! = 1$. This helps avoid going in circles forever!

3. Break Down the Problem: Think of how to express the problem using a smaller version of itself. For factorial, you can write it like this: $n! = n \times (n-1)!$

4. Write the Recursive Code: Now, create the code that will handle these recursive calls. Here’s a simple example in Python:

   def factorial(n):
       if n == 0 or n == 1:
           return 1
       else:
           return n * factorial(n - 1)
   

5. Test Your Code: Finally, make sure to try out your function with different numbers to see if it works right!

By following these steps, you’ll be able to write a recursive algorithm without any problems. Happy coding!