Programming and Data Structures · Recursion
Official IIT answer key · IIT Bombay · Audited Aug 2026
GATE CSE 2013 Q42 · MCQ · 2 marks
f(p, p), if the value of p is initialized to 5 before the call? Note that the first parameter is passed by reference, whereas the second parameter is passed by value.
int f (int &x, int c) {
c = c - 1;
if (c==0) return 1;
x = x + 1;
return f(x,c) * x;
}Key concept
No account needed
Sit 5 related RecursionPYQs as a guest. We'll score the set and show which traps cost marks — sign in only if you want to save the run.
Topic notes
GATE tests Recursion primarily through direct execution tracing of recursive C code snippets, stack-unwinding behavior (pre-order vs. post-order execution), and termination/infinite recursion analysis. Questions frequently incorporate static variables, pointer/reference aliasing, mutual recursion, and tree/array traversals to test whether candidates can systematically maintain call frames. In recent years, the focus has expanded from standard tracing to higher-order mathematical characterizations (e.g., finding the smallest input or maximum output value of composed recurrences).
Full Recursion guide →What is the return value of f(p, p) , if the value of p is initialized to 5 before the call? Note that the first parameter is passed by reference, whereas the second parameter is passed by value. int f (int &x, int c) c = c - 1; if (c==0) return 1; x = x + 1; return f(x,c) * x;
Topic-wise GATE CS PYQs with verified steps
Independent practice explanation verified by the GateAI team. GATE is conducted by the IITs; question text follows the official paper.