Definition
'Recursive' describes something that refers back to itself, like a set of Russian nesting dolls 🎎. In programming, a recursive function calls itself as part of its execution. Think of it like a mirror reflecting another mirror, creating an infinite loop. It allows complex problems to be broken down into smaller, self-similar subproblems. Unlike iterative approaches that repeat a set of steps, recursion involves solving a smaller version of the same problem. It's like peeling the layers of an onion 🧅, each layer resembling the whole.