[net.nlang] Difficulty of recursion

rcj (03/22/83)

These people who jump on something without first carefully reading
it really burn me up!!!!
I refer to the recent comment on Pavel's article about teaching
recursion, in which comment the author tried to prove with 'the farmer
takes...' garbage that iteration is easier to understand than recursion.
I bet he really feels smug about that one.  I have just one question
for that author:  Who ever said that iteration was \NOT/ easier to
understand than recursion?  Go back and read the article that you
commented on and I think that you will find that Pavel merely said
that (except \POSSIBLY/ for a couple of specific examples like
the Tower of Hanoi and tree-walking), iteration IS easier to understand.
He merely points out that recursion shouldn't be that much harder if
taught properly.

I heartily agree with Pavel, I had a favorable introduction to recursion
and it was a breeze.  And was it fast!!!! I love it.

Please, people, be sure that the article that you make fun of or try
to refute is actually making the assertion that you are refuting!!