Chapter 11
Linked Data Structures and Recursion
IN THIS CHAPTER, we look at two advanced programming
techniques, recursion and linked data structures, and some of their applications.
Both of these techniques are related to the seemingly paradoxical idea of
defining something in terms of itself. This turns out to be a remarkably
powerful idea.
A subroutine is said to be recursive if it calls
itself, either directly or indirectly. That is, the subroutine is used in its own definition.
Recursion can often be used to solve complex problems
by reducing them to simpler problems of the same type.
A reference to one object can be stored in an instance variable of another
object. The objects are then said to be "linked." Complex data structures
can be built by linking objects together. An especially interesting case
occurs when an object contains a link to another object that belongs to the
same class. In that case, the class is used in its own definition.
Several important types of data structures are built using classes of
this kind.
Contents of Chapter 11:
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