recursive
Refers to itself
Recursive describes something that refers back to itself or applies its own definition repeatedly.
In computing and mathematics, a recursive function calls itself to solve smaller instances of a problem: The algorithm uses recursive calls to traverse the tree.
More loosely, recursive describes any self-referential loop: The recursive nature of consciousness—thinking about thinking.
A recursive definition defines something in terms of itself.
Curve closing on itself
- cycleRepeating sequence of events
- iterationRepeated procedural pass
- feedbackReturned response data
- echoReflected sound wave
spiral · return · revisit · reentry · circularity · perpetual · ongoing · cyclical
Act of ending something
- self-referencePointing to oneself
- subroutinePackaged callable code segment
- backtrackingReversing to find alternatives
- top-downDirected from highest level
Identical at every magnification
Making a dwelling
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- matryoshkaRussian nesting doll
- embeddingPlacing within surrounding mass
- layersStacked levels or coatings
encapsulation · containment · subdirectory · outline · indentation · brackets · parentheses · inception
Alluding to itself
- circularForming a closed curve
- inductionFormal admission process
- axiomSelf-evident starting principle
- GNURecursive-acronym operating system
acronym · incompleteness · paradox · ouroboros · bootstrapping
loop
Curve closing on itself
echo · spiral · return · revisit · reentry · circularity · perpetual · ongoing · cyclical · recurring
termination
Act of ending something
- self-referencePointing to oneself
- subroutinePackaged callable code segment
- backtrackingReversing to find alternatives
self-similarity
Identical at every magnification
nesting
Making a dwelling
- hierarchyRanked authority structure
- matryoshkaRussian nesting doll
- embeddingPlacing within surrounding mass
layers · encapsulation · containment · subdirectory · outline · indentation · brackets · parentheses · inception
self-referential
Alluding to itself
GNU · acronym · incompleteness · paradox · ouroboros · bootstrapping
- programming paradigmsobject-oriented, functional, procedural, declarative, imperative
- sequencessequence, arithmetic, series, geometric, progressions
- permissionsread, write, execute, delete, grant
- Self-referenceself-reference, self-referential, meta, infinite regress, circular reasoning
- technical adjectivesadjustable, modular, portable, durable, automated
- algorithmsalgorithm, algorithms, DFS, binary search, A star
recursiveiterative
Involving repeated cycles
sequential · looping · explicit · procedural · heuristic
- infinite recursionSelf-reference without end