Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!olivea!oliveb!felix!asylvain
From: asylvain@felix.UUCP (Alvin E. Sylvain)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Recursion?
Summary: Recursion is not a tool for everybody
Keywords: recursion, business and other computing
Message-ID: <152256@felix.UUCP>
Date: 11 Oct 90 00:45:56 GMT
References: <1990Oct5.101354.593@contact.uucp>
Sender: daemon@felix.UUCP
Reply-To: asylvain@felix.UUCP (Alvin "the Chipmunk" Sylvain)
Followup-To: comp.edu
Distribution: comp
Organization: FileNet Corp., Costa Mesa, CA
Lines: 30

In article <1990Oct5.101354.593@contact.uucp> rrwood@contact.uucp
Roy Wood writes:
::
::I'm working with someone whose background is mostly COBOL programming in
::a business environment.  This person is convinced that recursion is just
::a "trick" of some sort, with no real world applications.  I'm trying to
::think of some examples that really show the usefulness of recursion,
::but all I can think of right now are factorials and the knight's tour
::problem.  Does anyone out there know of any other good examples that
::show the reak usefulness of recursion?
:: 
::-Roy Wood.

Judging by the responses you gotten so far, and anything I think of which
isn't much better, I'd say your chances of convincing this fellow are
pretty slim.  It would seem that the "real world" for business computing
is somewhat different than the "real world" for compiler writing, automata
theory, artificial intelligence, list processing, database processing, and
infinite other fields of computer science.

Just tell him it's a tool like anything else.  A person who never drives
in the backwoods will probably not have much use for a winch on his 4x4,
or even a 4x4 for that matter.  Consider recursion as a tool, which has
it's proper applications.  Accounts Receiveables just ain't one of 'em.
--
=======================Standard Disclaimers Apply=======================
"We're sorry, but the reality you have dialed is no   |            Alvin
longer in service.  Please check the value of pi,     |   "the Chipmunk"
or pray to your local diety for assistance."          |          Sylvain
= = = = = =I haven't the smoggiest notion what my address is!= = = = = =