A method of generating successive terms of a sequence when there is a recurrence relation expressing the nth term in terms of some or all of the preceding terms. For example, an=nan−1, with a1=1, gives a recursive definition of n! (factorial n).
Computer
The process of defining or expressing a function, procedure, language construct, or the solution to a problem in terms of itself, so producing a recursive function, a recursive subroutine, etc. See alsoprimitive recursion.