(chapter 3) A Concise and Practical Introduction to Programming Algorithms in Java

1A Concise and Practical Introduction to Programming Algorithms in Java © 2009 Frank Nielsen
Frank NIELSEN
nielsen@lix.polytechnique.fr
A Concise and
Practical
Introduction to
Programming
Algorithms in Java
Chapter 3: Functions and recursivity

So far... Executive review
Lecture 1: Java=Typed compiled programming language
Variables: Type var; (boolean, int, long, float, double)
Assignment: var=Expression; (with type checking)
Expression: Operand1 Operator Operand2 (+-*/%)
Instruction (;) & comments // or /* */

So far... Executive review
Lecture 2: Program workflow (blocks/branching/loops)
Determine the set of instructions at runtime
Blocks: sequence of instructions { }
Branching condition: if predicate B1 else B2
(switch case break)
Loops: while, do, for and escaping break
Numerical precisions: finite-precision arithmetic
(absurd results, loose of associativity, etc.)

Meaning of a function in mathematics ?
● Source (X) and target (Y) domains
● A map that associates to elements of X elements of Y
● An element of X is associated at most once to a member of Y
● The mapping gives always the same result (deterministic/no randomness)
● Functions of several variables may be built blockwise...
...using Cartesian product of spaces

Meaning of functions for computing ?
● A portion of a program processing data and returning a result
●A function not returning a result is also called a procedure
●A function has typed parameters as arguments
●A function usually yields the same result for a given set of arguments
(except for side-effects or use of pseudo-randomness)
●
A function needs to be declared first before calling it elsewhere
TypeF F(Type1 arg1, Type2 arg2, ..., TypeN argN)
{
TypeF result;
block of instructions;
return result;
}

class INF311{
public static typeF F(type1 arg1, ..., typeN argN)
{
// Description
Block of instructions;
}
...
}
● This kind of function is also called a static method
● Functions must be defined inside classes
● A function not returning a result has type void
(also known as a procedure)
Declaring functions in Java

Defining the body of a function in Java
Class INF311{
{
// Description
}
}
Body of a function
● Body should contain an instruction return to indicate the result
● If branching structures are used (if or switch) , a return should be
written for all different branches. Otherwise we get acompiler error!

Defining the body of a function in Java
class INF311{
{
// Description
}
}
Body of a function
Body should contain an instruction return to indicate the result
If branching structures are used (if or switch) ,
then a return should be written for all different branches.
... Otherwise we get a compiler error! (why? => not type safe!)

Using functions in Java

A few examples of basic functions
class FuncDecl{
public static int square(int x)
{return x*x;}
public static boolean isOdd(int p)
{if ((p%2)==0) return false;
else return true;}
public static double distance(double x, double y)
{if (x>y) return x-y;
else return y-x;}
public static void display(double x, double y)
{System.out.println("("+x+","+y+")");
return; // return void
}
public static void main (String[] args)
{
...
}
}

class FuncDecl{
public static int square(int x){...}
public static boolean isOdd(int p) {...}
public static double distance(double x, double y) {...}
public static void display(double x, double y) {...}
public static void main (String[] args)
{
display(3,2);
display(square(2),distance(5,9));
int p=123124345;
if (isOdd(p))
System.out.println("p is odd");
else System.out.println("p is even");
}
}
A few examples of basic functions

Functions... JCreator IDE

● Modularity (ease of presentation)
● Code re-use (program once, re-use many times!)
-> library (API)
● Ease certification of correctness and test routines.
Benefits of using functions

Functions with branching structures
ERROR!!!
This compiled but there is
an error (break keyword?!)

Functions with branching structures
(correct program)

Factorial function n! in Java
Call function factorial in class « toolbox »

Calling functions: Inner Mechanism
TypeF result=F(param1, param2, ..., paramN);
param1, ..., paramN should be of the same types as the ones declared in the function
A function call can be used inside an expression,
or even as a parameter of another function (nested calls)
Example: F1(F2(x),F3(x))
Assignment's rule checks at compile time for type equivalence:
System.out.println(IsPrime(23121971));
double dist=distance(u,v);
Beyond the scope of the function's class, we need to put the
function' class with a dot. Requires the function to be public.
Math.cos(x);
TD2.factorial(n);
TC.lireInt();

Revisiting IsPrime: measuring time
We repeat this computation
1000 times to measure
the elapsed time
Function call in class TC:
TC.demarrerChrono();
Function call in class TC:
TC.tempsChrono();

Potential side effects of functions:
Static variables (effet de bord)
● Function that might modify/alterate the environment
For example:
... displaying a value
... But also modify a variable of the base class
● A class variable is declared inside the class scope,
...not in function bodies
● Class variables are declared using the keyword static

Side effects of functions: Static variables
CountingCounting
number ofnumber of
function callsfunction calls
Declaration of class variable
static int classvar;

Function: Signature and overloading
signature of a function = ordered sequence of parameter types
Two functions with different signatures can bear the same name
(since the compiler can distinguish them!)
static double plusone(...)
int
double
String

Although the function result type is important,
Java does not take into account it for creating signatures...

static int plusone (int n)
static double plusone(int n)
!!! COMPILATION ERROR !!!
class SignatureError{
public static int plusone(int n)
{return n+1;}
public static double plusone(int n)
{return n+1.0;}
public static void main(String args[])
{} }
C:JSignature.java:6: plusone(int) is already defined in SignatureError
static double plusone(int n)

Executing functions in Java
● Work place of the function is created when the function is called
● ... and destroyed once it is executed (value returned)
● Parameter values are equal to the results of the expressions
● Function parameters are allocated in memory reserved for the function
● If a parameter is modified inside the function body,
it remains unchanged in the calling function.
public static void main(String args[])

Memory
(stack)
Memory
for main
Memory
for Increment
Memory
for plusone
As soon as we exit this
function, k takes its original
value of (5)
passage par valeur

(In C++, swapping is easy)

Principle of recursion
A beautiful principle of computing !
Loosely speaking, ...
...the inverse of inductivism in mathematics
● A function that calls itself...
● ...not forever, so that there should be stopping states...
● ...Function parameters should tend to the ones that do not
...require recursion to finalize the computation...
But all this is an informal glimpse of recursion (self-structure)

Example: Revisiting the factorial

Population growth:
Newly born pair of M/F rabbits are put in a field.
Newly born rabbits take a month to become mature, after which time
... They produce a new pair of baby rabbits every month
Q.: How many pairs will there be in subsequent years?
Example: Fibonacci numbers
Leonard de Pise
(1170- 1245)
1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55......

Example: Fibonacci numbers
Leonard de Pise
Much better algorithms at....
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suite_de_Fibonacci

Understanding a recursive function
recursive function called:
● Allocation of memory for local variables
● Stack operations to compute
● ... Call the function with other parameters, if required
● Process operations that remains on the stack
int fibo(int n)
{int x,y;
if(n <= 1) return 1;
x=fibo(n-1);
y=fibo(n-2);
return x+y;}
x=fibo(2)
y=fibo(1)
return x+y
fibo(3)
Recursive calls

x=fibo(2)
y=fibo(1)
return x+y
x=fibo(1)
y=fibo(0)
return x+y
return 1;
fibo(3)
fibo(2)
fibo(1)

x=fibo(2)
y=fibo(1)
return x+y
x=1
y=fibo(0)
return x+y
return 0;
fibo(3)
fibo(2)
fibo(0)

x=fibo(2)
y=fibo(1)
return x+y
x=1
y=0
return x+yfibo(3)
fibo(2)=1

x=1
y=fibo(1)
return x+y
fibo(3) fibo(1)=1 return 1;

x=1
y=1
return x+y
fibo(3)=2
As we can see, there is a lot of redundant work here.
-> Very inefficient algorithm.
Can cause stack overflow if the #recursive calls...
...become too large
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765, 10946, ..

Recursion: Halting problem
When does a recursive program terminate?
The arguments always decrease and
there is always a stopping criterion

Does not always halt because
we may never reach terminal case (n=0) for odd numbers
Do we always reach
that terminal state?

What do you think of this one?
Stack overflow

Syracuse problem and termination conjecture
Conjectured to halt
(computer simulation helps intuition but does not give a full proof)

There is provably no algorithm that can take as input a
program (binary string) and return true
if and only if this program halts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halting_problem
Halting problem: Computer Science
Proof skipped

Terminal recursion
Does not put function calls on the stack
(thus avoid stack overflow)
What happens if we call Factorial(100) ?
Recursive calls are alwaysof the form return f(...);
->No instruction (computation) after the function
(Factorial is not terminal since return n*f(n-1); )
if (n<=1) return 1; else
return n*f(n-1);

factorial with terminal recursion
Arguments plays the role of accumulators
What happens if we call Factorial(100) ?

Terminal Recursion:
Revisiting Fibonacci
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, 4181, 6765, 10946, ...
accum
ulator

Recursivity and Nature
Drawing fractal curves and motifs
Koch's snowflake
Fractals:
● Patterns that are present at different scales
● The curve at stage n is defined recursively...
....from the curve at stage n-1

Fractal: Sierpinski motif
Generation 1 Generation 2 Generation 3 Generation 4 Generation 5
The recursive pattern is given by a simple rewritting rule:
Replace a triangle by 3 triangles defined by the...
midpoints of the edges of the source triangle
Waclaw Sierpinski
(1882-1969)
Polish mathematician

Sierpinski curve (2D pyramid)
http://www.enseignement.polytechnique.fr/profs/informatique/Philippe.Chassignet/MACLIB/Java/maclib_java.html

(chapter 3) A Concise and Practical Introduction to Programming Algorithms in Java

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