Memoization makes recursion palatable, but it seems iteration is always faster. Although recursive methods run slower, they sometimes use less lines of code than iteration and for many are easier to understand. Recursive methods are useful for certain specific tasks, as well, such as traversing tree structures.

• Recursion can reduce time complexity.
• Recursion adds clarity and reduces the time needed to write and debug code.
• Recursion is better at tree traversal.
• Recursion can be slow.
• Iteration: A function repeats a defined process until a condition fails.

If time complexity is the point of focus, and number of recursive calls would be large, it is better to use iteration….Javascript.

The fact is that recursion is rarely the most efficient approach to solving a problem, and iteration is almost always more efficient. This is because there is usually more overhead associated with making recursive calls due to the fact that the call stack is so heavily used during recursion.

A recursive implementation will use more memory than a loop if tail call optimization can’t be performed. While iteration may use less memory than a recursive function that can’t be optimized, it has some limitations in its expressive power.

The main benefit of a recursive approach to algorithm design is that it allows programmers to take advantage of the repetitive structure present in many problems. ii. Complex case analysis and nested loops can be avoided. iii. Recursion can lead to more readable and efficient algorithm descriptions.

Recursion is better than iteration for problems that can be broken down into multiple, smaller pieces. For example, to make a recursive Fibonnaci algorithm, you break down fib(n) into fib(n-1) and fib(n-2) and compute both parts. Iteration only allows you to repeat a single function over and over again.

The concept of Recursion and Iteration is to execute a set of instructions repeatedly. The key difference between recursion and iteration is that recursion is a process to call a function within the same function while iteration is to execute a set of instructions repeatedly until the given condition is true.

Recursion imposes a higher cognitive load on the developer than does iterative loops. Recursion is great for directory scanning, but its greatest draw back is that it is memory limited – Stack Overflow!

Recursion is no exception. Depending on the programming language you’re using and the problem you’re trying to solve, recursion might not be most efficient way to go. We will cover tail call elimination, memoized functions, as well as an example of inefficcient recursive function.

In a standard programming language, where the compiler doesn’t have tail-recursive optimization, Recursive calls are usually slower than iteration. If you build a computed value from scratch, iteration usually comes first as a building block, and it is used in less resource-intensive computation than recursion.

Infinite recursion can lead to system crash whereas, infinite iteration consumes CPU cycles. Recursion repeatedly invokes the mechanism, and consequently the overhead, of method calls. This can be expensive in both processor time and memory space while iteration doesn’t. Recursion makes code smaller…

For example – when you use loop (for, while etc.) in your programs. ii) Iterative approach involves four steps, Initialization , condition, execution and updation. In recursive function, only base condition (terminate condition) is specified. iii) Recursion keeps your code short and simple Whereas iterative approach makes your code longer.

Iteration is always cheaper performance-wise than recursion (at least in general purpose languages such as Java, C++, Python etc.).

In general, use recursion when it solves the problem more clearly than any obvious alternative. Many (but not all) languages use a stack to keep track of function calls, so recursion can use up all the space and crash the program — depending on how many levels deep the recursion goes.