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Programming and Data Structures · Recursion
Official IIT answer key · IISc Bangalore · Audited Aug 2026
GATE CSE 2016 Set 1 Q35 · MCQ · 2 marks
void count(int n){
static int d=1;
printf("%d ", n);
printf("%d ", d);
d++;
if(n>1) count(n-1);
printf("%d ", d);
}
void main(){
count(3);
}Key concept
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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 will be the output of the following C program? void count(int n) static int d=1; printf("%d ", n); printf("%d ", d); d++; if(n>1) count(n-1); printf("%d ", d); void main() count(3);
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Independent practice explanation verified by the GateAI team. GATE is conducted by the IITs; question text follows the official paper.