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Intermediate

7h

Recursion for Coding Interviews in Python
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The ultimate recursion guide! Master basics, solve real-world problems, and get interview-ready in hours with FAANG engineers’ proven strategies.

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If you’ve ever struggled with solving coding problems using recursion, or if you need to brush up your recursion skills for an interview, this course is for you! We will start with the basics of recursion before we practice solving actual coding problems. You’ll have access to detailed explanations and visualizations for each problem to help you along the way. By the time you have completed this course, you’ll be able to use all the concepts of recursion to solve complex, real-world problems. We hope that ...Show More

If you’ve ever struggled with solving coding problems using recursion, or if you need to brush up your recursion skills for an i...Show More

Content

58 Lessons6 Quizzes15 Challenges

1.

Recursion Fundamentals

7 Lessons

Get familiar with recursion, memory usage, direct vs. indirect calls, and recursive problem-solving.

Who Should Take This Course?

What is Recursion?

Recursion and Memory Visualization

Direct Vs. Indirect Recursion

When to Use Recursion?

Understanding a Recursive Problem

Test Your Knowledge 1

2.

Iteration Vs. Recursion

11 Lessons

Walk through iteration vs recursion, conversion techniques, and practical challenges in coding.

Overview of Iterative Functions

Differences Between Iterative and Recursive Functions

Converting Iterative Code to Recursive Code

Count Vowels in a String

Challenge 1: Compute Square of a Number

Solution Review: Compute the Square of a Number

Challenge 2: Search First Occurrence of a Number

Solution Review: Search First Occurrence of a Number

Challenge 3: Corresponding Fibonacci Number

Solution Review: Corresponding Fibonacci Number

Test Your Knowledge 2

3.

Recursion with Numbers

10 Lessons

Break apart key recursion concepts, solving numbers and challenges like GCD, Pascal's Triangle, and conversions.

The Power of a Number

Sum of Integers from 1 to n

Challenge 1: Find the Greatest Common Divisor

Solution Review: Find the Greatest Common Divisor

Challenge 2: Pascal's Triangle

Solution Review: Pascal's Triangle

Challenge 3: Convert Decimal Number to Binary Number

Solution Review: Convert Decimal Number to Binary Number

Test Your Knowledge 3

4.

Recursion with Strings

10 Lessons

Break down complex ideas using recursion to manipulate and analyze strings.

Remove Tabs in a String

Remove All Adjacent Duplicates from a String

Merge Two Sorted Strings Lexicographically

Challenge 1: Length of a String

Solution Review: Length of a String

Challenge 2: Sum of Digits in a String

Solution Review: Sum of Digits in a String

Challenge 3: Check for a Palindrome

Solution Review: Check for a Palindrome

Test Your Knowledge 4

5.

Recursion with Arrays

10 Lessons

Take a closer look at recursive solutions for arrays in counting, inverting, replacing, and sorting tasks.

Count All Occurrences of a Number

Invert an Array

Replace All Negative Numbers with Zero

Challenge 1: Average of Numbers

Solution Review: Average of Numbers

Challenge 2: Balance Parenthesis

Solution Review: Balance Parenthesis

Challenge 3: Sort an Array

Solution Review: Sort an Array

Test Your Knowledge 5

6.

Recursion with Data Structures

9 Lessons

Explore recursion in reversing linked lists, depth-first traversal, and stack and graph manipulations.

Reverse Linked List

Depth First Traversal of Graph

Challenge 1: Length of a Linked List

Solution Review: Length of a Linked List

Challenge 2: Reverse a Stack

Solution Review: Reverse a Stack

Challenge 3: Topological Sorting of a Graph

Solution Review 3: Topological Sorting of a Graph

Test Your Knowledge 6

7.

Conclusion

1 Lessons

Learn how to improve problem-solving through recursion and practice across languages.

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Certificate of Completion

Showcase your accomplishment by sharing your certificate of completion.

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Every Educative resource is designed by our in-house team of ex-MAANG software engineers and PhD computer science educators — subject matter experts who’ve shipped production code at scale and taught the theory behind it. The goal is to get you hands-on with the skills you need to stay ahead in today's constantly evolving tech landscape. No videos, no fluff — just interactive, project-based learning with personalized feedback that adapts to your goals and experience.

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Free Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is recursion in Python, and how is it used in coding interviews?

Recursion in Python involves a function calling to solve smaller instances of the same problem. It is often used in coding interviews to test problem-solving skills.

Why is recursion important for coding interviews?

Recursion tests your ability to break down complex problems and use algorithms, skills important for technical interviews.

How do I prepare for recursion questions in Python coding interviews?

Practice problems like factorials, Fibonacci, and tree traversals using recursion in Python to enhance your understanding.

Is recursion commonly used in Python technical interviews?

Yes, recursion is often featured in Python interviews, especially in problems involving data structures like trees and graphs.

Should I use recursion or iteration in Python interviews?

While recursion is powerful, depending on the problem’s efficiency and complexity, interviewers may expect both recursion and iterative solutions.

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