Mastering Algorithms with C

Related Topics

Compiler design

The basics behind the code translators that ultimately dictate how efficiently programs will run, at least at the instruction level. Whereas generally in algorithm design we focus on complexity as a measure of performance (see Chapter 4), understanding the issues compilers deal with in translating code can help us tune performance in practice. Understanding tail recursion is a good example.

Tail recursion elimination

A process in which the final tail-recursive call in a function is replaced with an iterative control structure. This does not change the outcome of the function, but helps avoid the overhead of an extra function call. Tail recursion elimination is a fundamental principle studied in compiler design.

Recursion trees

Illustrations that help us visualize calling sequences with recursive functions. Recursion trees vary in their formality. Figures Figure 3.1 and Figure 3.4 for recursively computing a factorial and Figure 3.6 for determining the prime factors of a number are recursion trees. Recursion trees are most often used with functions containing two or more recursive calls within each activation.