recursion

American  

[ri-kur-zhuhn] / rɪˈkɜr ʒən /

noun

Mathematics, Computers.

1. the process of defining a function or calculating a number by the repeated application of an algorithm.

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recursion British  

/ rɪˈkɜːʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of returning or running back

2. logic maths the application of a function to its own values to generate an infinite sequence of values. The recursion formula or clause of a definition specifies the progression from one term to the next, as given the base clause f (0) = 0, f ( n + 1) = f ( n ) + 3 specifies the successive terms of the sequence f ( n ) = 3 n

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Other Word Forms

• recursive
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of recursion

1925–30; < Late Latin recursiōn- (stem of recursiō ) a running back, equivalent to recurs ( us ) ( see recourse) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

LLMs that eat too much of their own cooking are prone to model collapse, a symptom of the curse of recursion.

From Slate • Aug. 24, 2023

With three pairs of symbols, the probability of producing the sequences without grasping the underlying concept of recursion becomes much lower, Liao says.

From Scientific American • Nov. 2, 2022

Even in the academy, fellow polymaths were bedazzled by the breadth of his boundless ruminations into metaphysics, modal logic, recursion theory, identity materialism and the ontological nature of numbers.

From New York Times • Sep. 21, 2022

Mr Everett claims that recursion is neither necessary nor sufficient for human language.

From Economist • Oct. 5, 2017

There is a recursion here that is worth noting: like all proteins, DNA polymerase, the enzyme that enables DNA to replicate, is itself the product of a gene.*

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee