Struggling with Recursion in Python - Need Help!

[Natali]

Hey everyone, I'm relatively new to Python and I've been trying to wrap my head around recursion. I'm working on a function to calculate factorial numbers, but I keep running into a "maximum recursion depth exceeded" error. Here's my code:

 

[Madi]

Hey everyone, I'm relatively new to Python and I've been trying to wrap my head around recursion. I'm working on a function to calculate factorial numbers, but I keep running into a "maximum recursion depth exceeded" error. Here's my code:

Hi, Natali! I see the issue. In your recursive call, you're not reducing the problem size. The function keeps calling itself with the same value of n indefinitely. Try decrementing n in the recursive call like this:

return n * factorial(n - 1)

 

[Rumen]

Hi, Natali! I see the issue. In your recursive call, you're not reducing the problem size. The function keeps calling itself with the same value of n indefinitely. Try decrementing n in the recursive call like this:

return n * factorial(n - 1)

@Madi is spot on. Also, don't forget to handle the case when n is 0. The factorial of 0 is 1, so you should include that in your base case to avoid errors.

if n == 0:
    return 1

Happy coding!

 

[Konak]

Adding to the previous suggestions, it's also a good practice to validate your input to ensure it's a non-negative integer. Factorial is not defined for negative numbers or non-integers, so you might want to add a check at the beginning of your function:

if not isinstance(n, int) or n < 0:
    raise ValueError("Input must be a non-negative integer")

 

[Pashok]

Hey, recursion can be tricky! Your error might be because your base case isn't properly defined. Remember, every recursive function needs a base case to stop the infinite loop. For factorials, your base case should be when n equals 1 or 0.

UPD: Oops, looks like I jumped the gun with my advice. Just realized that the original poster already found a solution to the recursion problem. My bad for not reading the thread thoroughly. Glad to hear the issue was sorted out!

 

[Rostya]

Hi there! Dealing with recursion in Python can be a bit of a challenge, especially with factorial calculations. It sounds like your function might be exceeding the maximum recursion depth. Make sure your base case is correctly set; for factorial functions, it should return 1 when the input is either 1 or 0. Also, remember that Python limits recursion depth to prevent infinite loops, so an iterative approach might be more efficient for large numbers. Keep experimenting, and you'll get the hang of it! Recursion is a tricky concept, but it gets easier with practice. Keep up the good work!

 

[Natali]

Hi there! Dealing with recursion in Python can be a bit of a challenge, especially with factorial calculations. It sounds like your function might be exceeding the maximum recursion depth. Make sure your base case is correctly set; for factorial functions, it should return 1 when the input is either 1 or 0. Also, remember that Python limits recursion depth to prevent infinite loops, so an iterative approach might be more efficient for large numbers. Keep experimenting, and you'll get the hang of it! Recursion is a tricky concept, but it gets easier with practice. Keep up the good work!

No worries! Appreciate you chiming in. It's all about sharing knowledge and experiences, right? Every bit of input is valuable, especially in tricky areas like recursion. Thanks for taking the time to contribute!

 

[Palert]

I totally get the struggle with recursion; it can be tricky at first. I had a similar issue when I was learning. For your factorial function, just make sure you’ve got a base case that returns 1 when the input is 0 or 1. If you're trying to calculate a really big factorial, it’s easy to hit that recursion limit. I ended up switching to an iterative approach for large numbers, which worked way better for me.