What is the space complexity of a recursive function that uses a stack?

Practice Questions

Q1
What is the space complexity of a recursive function that uses a stack?
  1. O(1)
  2. O(n)
  3. O(log n)
  4. O(n^2)

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

What is the space complexity of a recursive function that uses a stack?
  • Step 1: Understand what space complexity means. It refers to the amount of memory space required by an algorithm as a function of the input size.
  • Step 2: Recognize that a recursive function calls itself. Each time it calls itself, it adds a new layer to the stack.
  • Step 3: Identify that the maximum number of recursive calls that can be active at the same time is related to the depth of the recursion.
  • Step 4: If the recursion goes 'n' levels deep, it means there are 'n' function calls on the stack at the same time.
  • Step 5: Conclude that the space used by the stack for these function calls is proportional to 'n', which gives us a space complexity of O(n).
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