461: Highlights

• Recursive methods work by calling themselves to solve subproblems until the subproblems are simple enough for them to solve directly.
• The portion of a recursive method that handles the simplest cases is called the base part; the portion that transforms more complex cases is called the recursive part.
• If you want to solve a difficult problem, then try to break it up into simpler subproblems.
• If you are writing a recursive method, then your method must handle the simplest cases, and must break down every other case into the simplest cases.
• If your recursive method is to count down a number, then you may be able to instantiate the following recursive counting pattern:

  public static int method name (int n) { 
   if (n == 0) { 
    return result for n equal 0; 
   } 
   else { 
    return combination operand 
           combination operator 
           method name(n - 1); 
   } 
  }