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recursion

[ ri-kur-zhuhn ]
/ rɪˈkɜr ʒən /
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Definition of recursion

noun Mathematics, Computers.
the process of defining a function or calculating a number by the repeated application of an algorithm.
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Origin of recursion

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

Words nearby recursion

recurrence, recurrent, recurrent fever, recurring, recurring decimal, recursion, recursion formula, recursive, recursive definition, recursive function, recursive subroutine
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use recursion in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for recursion

recursion
/ (rɪˈkɜːʃən) /
noun
the act or process of returning or running back
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

Derived forms of recursion

recursive, adjective

Word Origin for recursion

C17: from Latin recursio, from recurrere recur
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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