Cynthia Cobb - Recursion Tracing

README.md

@@ -4,12 +4,19 @@
 Define the following: 
 
 - Recursion
+- When the result of a method dependes on the result of the same method but called with a smaller case. You know you have a recrusive method if the method calls its self 
 - Recursive Case
+- The expression of code where the method is calling its self
 - Base Case
+- the expression of code where the recursion stops 
 - Activation Chain/Stack
+- A recurive method has to keep track of each instance the method is being called - the function does this with stack that holds each instantiation. 
 - Activation Record/Call
+- An activation record is an individual "item" in the activation stack
 - Infinite Recursion/Stack Overflow/Stack too deep
+- When the recrusive method will never reach the base case - it will go one forever/computer will error cause it doesn't have enough memory to keep track of all the times the method has been called. - IE the Activation Stack is too large for the computers memory
 - Tail Recursion
+- normally every recurive call has to complete before the method begins to do work to find the result - in tail recursion the end result is being updated with each new instantiation
 
 ## Tracing through a recursive method
 
@@ -24,10 +31,13 @@ def mystery1(n)
 end
 ```
 
-- What is mystery1(5)?
-- What is mystery1(10)?
-- What is mystery1(0)?
+- What is mystery1(5)? 
+- 15
 
+- What is mystery1(10)? 
+- 55
+- What is mystery1(0)?
+- infinite recursion - will never reach base-case
 ### Trace #2
 ```
 def mystery2(n)
@@ -40,9 +50,13 @@ end
 ```
 
 - What is mystery2(123)?
+-6
 - What is mystery2(9005)?
+- 14
 - What is mystery2(-123)?
+- -123
 - _Added Fun: How could we make `mystery2(-123)` work the way we might expect it to work instead of the way it does?_
+ - Depends on if we want -123 to be -1 + 2 + 3 or - (1 + 2 + 3). Either case we need to add a condition that checks to see if the integer passed is negative - if true, than decided if we should take the absolute value - run the method and at the end make it negative again
 
 ### Trace #3
 ```
@@ -61,8 +75,11 @@ end
 ```
 
 - What is mystery3(1)?
+- 100
 - What is mystery3(13)?
+- 100
 - What is mystery3(-6)?
+- 200
 
 ### Trace #4
 ```
@@ -76,8 +93,12 @@ end
 ```
 
 - What is mystery4(10,2)?
+- 10^ 2 = 100
 - What is mystery4(4,3)?
+- 4^3 = 64
 - What is mystery4(5,0)?
+- 5^0 = 1
+- NOTE: I did trace the recursions and at the end noticed the pattern of b^e :)
 
 ### Trace #5
 ```
@@ -91,9 +112,14 @@ end
 ```
 
 - What is mystery5("hi")?
+      "**"
 - What is mystery5("")?
+        ""
+
 - What is mystery5("Hi, there!")?
+      "**********" (10 - * characters)
 - _Added Fun: How could we make only alphabetic characters to be changed to stars?_
+    Add a condition that checks each value by index. if it's a alpha character, then the values only becomes a *
 
 ### Trace #6
 ```
@@ -111,6 +137,9 @@ end
 ```
 
 - What is mystery6("goodnight moon")?
+- " moon goodnight"
 - What is mystery6("Ada Developers Academy")?
+- " Academy Developers Ada"
 - What is mystery6("Hi, there!")?
+- " there! Hi,"
 - _Added Fun: How could we make the reversal happen by letter, instead of by word (i.e. Make it so that mystery6("goodnight moon") returned "noom thgindoog")?_