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Part of the book series: Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science ((UTICS))

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The concept of functions in programming languages is quite different from the usual mathematical notions, although it bears some similarity. Therefore it can be confusing at first sight to make an explicit comparison. We rather prefer to introduce the syntax of functions in Java, and show its two essential merits:

  • Functions as subroutines for enhancing program modularity and code re-use,

  • Functions defined recursively by themselves for novel computation paradigms.

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Correspondence to Frank Nielsen .

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© 2009 Springer-Verlag London

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Nielsen, F. (2009). Functions and Recursive Functions. In: A Concise and Practical Introduction to Programming Algorithms in Java. Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-339-6_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-339-6_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84882-338-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84882-339-6

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