SOLUTION: I am working with recursive functions. I do not understand the examples given in the book. Example 1 is evaluating a recursive function. Use the following defintion to find the

Question 67665This question is from textbook
: I am working with recursive functions. I do not understand the examples given in the book.
Example 1 is evaluating a recursive function. Use the following defintion to find the value of f(4).
f(1)=3 and f(n)= f(n-1) + n
solution:
f(1)=3
f(2)= f(1)+2=3+2=5 This is where I get lost.
f(3)=f(2)+3=5+3=8
f(4)=f(3)+4=8+4=12
I understand factorals but this I do not understand. Also is there a website that would guide me slower through the recursive functions?
Thank you
Kate This question is from textbook

Answer by stanbon(75887) (Show Source): You can put this solution on YOUR website!
Use the following defintion to find the value of f(4).
f(1)=3 and
f(n)= f(n-1) + n
You are given a starting point f(1)=3
You are given a rule for generating the next number in the sequence:
f(n) means any number of the sequence.
f(n-1) means the number just before the one you are generating
or the last one you generated.
n is the number of the sequence you are generating.
solution:
f(1)=3
-------------
f(2)= f(1)+2 because f(1) comes just before f(2)
then you add 2 because that is the number of sequence element.
Since you were told f(1)=3, that is the 1st term below.
=3+2
=5
---------------
Now you go through the same process to generate f(3)
f(3)=f(2)+3
=5+3
=8
---------------
f(4)=f(3)+4
=8+4
=12
---------
Do you see that f(5)would be f(4)+5
=12+5
=17
---------
Do you see that this process could go on forever?
That's what makes it recursive.
-----------
Cheers,
Stan H.

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