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On teaching recursion

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Robert L. KruseAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 1

Pages 92 - 96

https://doi.org/10.1145/953051.801346

Published: 01 February 1982 Publication History

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Abstract

Tree diagrams can be fruitfully employed in elementary courses to illustrate recursion, explain its implementation, and motivate its applications in algorithm design. At the same time, tree diagrams can lead to guidelines to help the student decide when recursion is a good method, and when it should be avoided. This paper discusses these methods and, as an example, develops an algorithm for generating permutations.

References

[1]

B. R. Heap, 'Permutations by Interchanges', Computer J., 6 (1963), 293-294.]]

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[2]

E. Horowitz and S. Sahni, Fundamentals of Computer Algorithms, Computer Science Press, 1978, 626 pp.]]

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[3]

R. Sedgewick, 'Permutation generation methods'. Computing Surveys, 9 (1977), 137-164; addenda, ibid., 314-317.]]

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N. Wirth, Algorithms + Data Structures &equil; Programs, Prentice-Hall, 1976, 366 pp.]]

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Lee EShan VBeth BLin CCutts QSimon BDorn B(2014)A structured approach to teaching recursion using cargo-botProceedings of the tenth annual conference on International computing education research10.1145/2632320.2632356(59-66)Online publication date: 28-Jul-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2632320.2632356
Tessler JBeth BLin CSimon BClear ACutts Q(2013)Using cargo-bot to provide contextualized learning of recursionProceedings of the ninth annual international ACM conference on International computing education research10.1145/2493394.2493411(161-168)Online publication date: 12-Aug-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2493394.2493411
Zmuda MHatch M(2007)Scheduling topics for improved student comprehension of recursionComputers & Education10.1016/j.compedu.2005.02.00348:2(318-328)Online publication date: Feb-2007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2005.02.003
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On teaching recursion

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On teaching recursion
SIGCSE '82: Proceedings of the thirteenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education

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Published In

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 14, Issue 1

Proceedings of the 13th SIGCSE symposium on Computer science education

February 1982

278 pages

ISSN:0097-8418

DOI:10.1145/953051

Issue’s Table of Contents

SIGCSE '82: Proceedings of the thirteenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education
February 1982
271 pages
ISBN:0897910672
DOI:10.1145/800066
Chairmen:
John F. Dalphin,
Robert A. Barrett,
John T. Gorgone

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 01 February 1982

Published in SIGCSE Volume 14, Issue 1

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Cited By

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Lee EShan VBeth BLin CCutts QSimon BDorn B(2014)A structured approach to teaching recursion using cargo-botProceedings of the tenth annual conference on International computing education research10.1145/2632320.2632356(59-66)Online publication date: 28-Jul-2014
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2632320.2632356
Tessler JBeth BLin CSimon BClear ACutts Q(2013)Using cargo-bot to provide contextualized learning of recursionProceedings of the ninth annual international ACM conference on International computing education research10.1145/2493394.2493411(161-168)Online publication date: 12-Aug-2013
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2493394.2493411
Zmuda MHatch M(2007)Scheduling topics for improved student comprehension of recursionComputers & Education10.1016/j.compedu.2005.02.00348:2(318-328)Online publication date: Feb-2007
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2005.02.003
Wilcocks DSanders I(1994)Animating recursion as an aid to instructionComputers & Education10.1016/S0360-1315(05)80013-223:3(221-226)Online publication date: 1-Nov-1994
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1016/S0360-1315%2805%2980013-2
Stoss PHemmer R(1991)1,4:3,6-DianhydrohexitolsAdvances in Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biochemistry Volume 4910.1016/S0065-2318(08)60182-1(93-173)Online publication date: 1991
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2318(08)60182-1
Leinbach LWijesinha A(1986)On classifying recursive algorithmsACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/953055.564418:1(186-190)Online publication date: 1-Feb-1986
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/953055.5644
Leinbach LWijesinha A(1986)On classifying recursive algorithmsProceedings of the seventeenth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/5600.5644(186-190)Online publication date: 2-Feb-1986
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/5600.5644
Adams JAnderson HStephenson BStone JBattestilli LRebelsky SShoop L(2024)Hearing Iterative and Recursive BehaviorProceedings of the 55th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 110.1145/3626252.3630866(4-10)Online publication date: 7-Mar-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3626252.3630866
Hamouda SEdwards SElmongui HErnst JShaffer C(2018)RecurTutorACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/321832819:1(1-25)Online publication date: 19-Nov-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3218328
Gunion KMilford TStege U(2009)Curing recursion aversionACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/1595496.156291941:3(124-128)Online publication date: 6-Jul-2009
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1595496.1562919
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