Thread: Another recursive method! pretty stuck on this one.

the sum is: 10 + 9 + 8 + 7 + 6 + 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 so it is 55.
how?
first you are going to call that method somewhere in your code.
let say sum(10);.
are you familiar with stack in programming? Stack (abstract data type) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
every time you call a method, pass a parameter to that method, the program will push a value(usually a memory address). And the memory address that is sure will push to the stack is the memory address of the instruction that calls the method(so the method knows where memory address will it return when it reaches the end of the method) others are (return value and parameter). The statement return number + sum(number - 1); push a value to the stack(the value of sum(number-1).

Let simulate the recursive method.
First call the method with parameter of 10
so n = 10; and the return 1 will execute when n = 1.

since n is not 1, it will return n + sum(n - 1)

here it is:
1 in the return statement: I have return 10 + sum(10 - 1). oh it calls the method again.
2 inside the method sum(10 - 1) it returns 9 + sum(9 - 1) and it calls the method again
3 inside the method sum(9 - 1) it returns 8 + sum(8 - 1) and it calls the method again
4 inside the method sum(8 - 1) it returns 7 + sum(7 - 1) and it calls the method again
5 inside the method sum(7 - 1) it returns 6 + sum(6 - 1) and it calls the method again
6 inside the method sum(6 - 1) it returns 5 + sum(5 - 1) and it calls the method again
7 inside the method sum(5 - 1) it returns 4 + sum(4 - 1) and it calls the method again
8 inside the method sum(4 - 1) it returns 3 + sum(3 - 1) and it calls the method again
9 inside the method sum(3 - 1) it returns 2 + sum(2 - 1) and it calls the method again
10 inside the method sum(2 - 1), number now is 1 so it will return 1 (the last call of the method)

so line 10 returns 1.
that will make line 9 receive 1 and return 2 + 1. so it returns 3 to line 8
line 9 will make line 8 receive 3 and return 3 + 3. so it returns 6 to line 7
line 8 will make line 7 receive 6 andreturn 4 + 6. so it returns 10 to line 6
line 7 will make line 6 receive 10 andreturn 5 + 10. so it returns 15 to line 5
line 6 will make line 5 receive 15 andreturn 6 + 15. so it returns 21 to line 4
line 5 will make line 4 receive 21 andreturn 7 + 21. so it returns 28 to line 3
line 4 will make line 3 receive 28 andreturn 8 + 28. so it returns 36 to line 2
line 2 will make line 1 receive 36 andreturn 9 + 36. so it returns 45 to line 1
so line 1 will return 10 + 45 which is equal to 55.

actually values was pushed in the stack together with other values. you will understand what actually happens if you know low level programming languages like assembly, actually you can see what really happens in stack with your own eyes using a debugger tool like ollydebug,