4.What is a function?
Explain function calling and
function called with suitable example? Write a
python program to find the Factorial Value using
function recursion?
ANS:
A function in Python is a block of reusable code designed to perform a
specific task. Functions allow you to divide complex problems into smaller,
manageable parts and help in reusing code throughout a program.
Key Concepts of Functions:
1. Function Definition: This is where the function is defined with a
specific name and any required parameters.
SYNTAX:
def function_name(parameters):
# Code block
return result
2.Function Call: This is where the function is executed (or called) by specifying
the function name followed by parentheses, optionally passing arguments to it.
Function Calling: The point in the code where you call a function by its
name to execute the function’s code.
Function Called: The function itself that is defined elsewhere and is
being invoked in the program.
Example of Function Definition and Calling
# Function definition
def greet(name):
print("Hello, " + name + "!")
# Function calling
greet("Alice")
Explanation:
Function Definition (greet): Here, we define a function greet that takes a
parameter name.
Function Call (greet("Alice")): We call greet with the argument "Alice",
resulting in "Hello, Alice!" being printed.
Factorial Program Using Recursion
Recursion is a technique where a function calls itself to solve a problem by
breaking it into smaller, similar subproblems. Calculating the factorial of a
number is a classic example of recursion.
Factorial of a positive integer nnn is the product of all positive integers from 1
to nnn. Mathematically, it’s defined as:
n!=n×(n−1)×(n−2)×...×1n! = n \times (n-1) \times (n-2) \times ... \times
1n!=n×(n−1)×(n−2)×...×1
Factorial of 0 is defined as 1.
Python Program to Find Factorial Using Recursion
# Function to find factorial using recursion
def factorial(n):
# Base case: factorial of 0 or 1 is 1
if n == 0 or n == 1:
return 1
else:
# Recursive case: n * factorial of (n-1)
return n * factorial(n - 1)
# Input from user
number = int(input("Enter a number: "))
# Function call
result = factorial(number)
# Display the result
print(f"The factorial of {number} is {result}")
Explanation:
1. Function Definition (factorial(n)): The factorial function takes a single
integer n.
o Base Case: If n is 0 or 1, it returns 1 (ending the recursion).
o Recursive Case: If n is greater than 1, it returns n * factorial(n - 1),
calling itself with n-1.
2. Function Call (factorial(number)): The function is called with the user's
input as number, and the recursive calls compute the factorial step-by-
step until the base case is reached.
SAMPLE OUT:
Enter a number: 5
The factorial of 5 is 120
In this example, if the user enters 5, the function will calculate
5×4×3×2×1=120
