The answer
The condition that stops the recursion. Without a base case, the function calls itself forever, causing a stack overflow (RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded). The base case is the simplest version of the problem.
Thinking Recursively in JavaScript
What is a base case in recursion?
More FAQs in Thinking Recursively in JavaScript
When a function calls itself. It requires a base case (when to stop) and a recursive case (call with a smaller input). Use for: tree traversal, factorial, fibonacci, divide-and-conquer.
1. Identify the base case (when to stop). 2. Identify the recursive case (how to reduce the problem). 3. Trust the recursion (assume the smaller call works). 4. Combine the result with the current step.
Tree traversal (DOM, JSON, file systems), divide-and-conquer (merge sort, quick sort), backtracking (permutations), and problems with self-similar structure (factorial, fibonacci, fractals).
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