Recursion on Arrays and Strings in DSA Javascript - Interactive Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to return the sum of all elements in the array using recursion.

DSA Javascript

function sumArray(arr) {
  if (arr.length === 0) return 0;
  return arr[0] + sumArray(arr[1]);
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A.pop()

B.slice(1)

C.shift()

D.splice(1)

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using pop() or shift() which modify the original array and cause incorrect recursion.

Using splice() which also modifies the original array.

We use arr.slice(1) to get the array without the first element for the recursive call.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the code to check if a string is a palindrome using recursion.

DSA Javascript

function isPalindrome(str) {
  if (str.length <= 1) return true;
  if (str[0] !== str[str.length [1] 1]) return false;
  return isPalindrome(str.slice(1, -1));
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A+

B/

C-

D*

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using + instead of - causes out of range index.

Using * or / operators are not valid for indexing.

We compare the first and last characters using str.length - 1.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the recursive function that reverses a string.

DSA Javascript

function reverseString(str) {
  if (str === '') return '';
  return reverseString(str[1]) + str[0];
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A.substring(1)

B.pop()

C.shift()

D.slice(1)

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using array methods like pop() or shift() on strings causes errors.

slice(1) returns the string without the first character, suitable for recursion.

4fill in blank

hard

Complete the code to create a recursive function that counts how many times a character appears in a string.

DSA Javascript

function countChar(str, char) {
  if (str.length === 0) return 0;
  return (str[0] === char ? 1 : 0) + countChar(str[1], char);
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A.slice(1)

B.pop()

C.shift()

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Trying to modify the char parameter causes errors.

Using pop() or shift() on strings is invalid.

We slice the string from index 1 for recursion and pass char unchanged.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to create a recursive function that builds an object mapping each word to its length from an array.

DSA Javascript

function mapWordLengths(words) {
  if (words.length === 0) return {};
  const rest = mapWordLengths(words[1]);
  rest[words[0]] = words[0][2];
  return rest;
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A.slice(1)

B.length

D.pop()

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using pop() modifies the original array and causes errors.

Confusing the property assignment syntax.

We slice the array from index 1, then assign the length of the first word to the object.

Practice

1. What does a recursive function on an array typically do to process the array elements?

easy

A. It uses loops instead of calling itself.

B. It processes one element and calls itself on the rest of the array.

C. It processes all elements at once without calling itself.

D. It only processes the first and last elements.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand recursion on arrays

   Recursive functions handle one element and then call themselves on the smaller part (rest of the array).

2. Step 2: Identify the typical recursive pattern

   This pattern reduces the problem size by one element each call until the array is empty.

3. Final Answer:

   It processes one element and calls itself on the rest of the array. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Recursion = process one + recurse rest [OK]

Hint: Recursion breaks problem into smaller parts [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking recursion processes all elements at once
• Confusing recursion with loops
• Ignoring the base case

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to define a recursive function in JavaScript that takes an array as input?

easy

A. function recurse(arr) { if(arr.length === 0) return; recurse(arr.slice(1)); }

B. function recurse(arr) { while(arr.length > 0) recurse(arr); }

C. function recurse(arr) { for(let i=0; i

D. function recurse(arr) { if(arr.length === 0) return; recurse(arr.pop()); }

Solution

1. Step 1: Check base case and recursive call

   function recurse(arr) { if(arr.length === 0) return; recurse(arr.slice(1)); } correctly checks if array is empty and calls itself with the rest of the array using slice(1).

2. Step 2: Identify incorrect syntax in other options

   The version using while(arr.length > 0) recurse(arr); causes infinite recursion because it passes the same array; the version using for loop calls recurse on individual elements; the version using arr.pop() passes a single element, not an array.

3. Final Answer:

   function recurse(arr) { if(arr.length === 0) return; recurse(arr.slice(1)); } -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Base case + recurse smaller array = correct syntax [OK]

Hint: Base case + smaller input slice needed [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Missing base case causing infinite recursion
• Passing wrong argument type in recursive call
• Using loops inside recursion incorrectly

3. What will be the output of the following code?

function sumArray(arr) {
  if (arr.length === 0) return 0;
  return arr[0] + sumArray(arr.slice(1));
}
console.log(sumArray([1, 2, 3, 4]));

medium

A. 1234

B. Error

C. undefined

D. 10

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the recursive sum logic

   The function adds the first element to the sum of the rest recursively until array is empty.

2. Step 2: Calculate sum step-by-step

   1 + sumArray([2,3,4]) = 1 + (2 + sumArray([3,4])) = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 10

3. Final Answer:

   10 -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Sum of [1,2,3,4] = 10 [OK]

Hint: Sum = first element + sum of rest [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Concatenating numbers as strings
• Forgetting base case returns 0
• Using arr.pop() which mutates array

4. Find the error in this recursive function that reverses a string:

function reverseStr(str) {
  if (str.length === 1) return str;
  return reverseStr(str.slice(1)) + str[0];
}
console.log(reverseStr('abc'));

medium

A. Base case should check for empty string, not length 1.

B. The recursive call should use str.slice(0, -1) instead of str.slice(1).

C. The function should return str[0] + reverseStr(str.slice(1)) instead.

D. No error, the function works correctly.

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze base case condition

   Base case checks if string length is 1, but for empty string it should return empty string to avoid errors.

2. Step 2: Understand recursion on empty string

   If input is empty, function should return empty string to stop recursion safely.

3. Final Answer:

   Base case should check for empty string, not length 1. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Base case empty string needed for safe recursion [OK]

Hint: Base case must handle empty string [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using wrong base case length
• Confusing slice indexes
• Assuming function works without base case

5. Given a nested array like [1, [2, [3, 4], 5], 6], which recursive approach correctly flattens it into [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]?

hard

A. Return the original array as is without changes.

B. Use a loop to add elements without recursion.

C. Check if element is array, recursively flatten it, else add element to result.

D. Only flatten one level using slice and concat.

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify recursive flattening logic

   To flatten nested arrays, check each element: if array, recurse; else add to result.

2. Step 2: Understand why other options fail

   Loops alone can't flatten nested arrays fully; one-level flattening misses deeper nesting; returning original array does nothing.

3. Final Answer:

   Check if element is array, recursively flatten it, else add element to result. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Recursive flatten = check array + recurse + add element [OK]

Hint: Recursively flatten nested arrays by checking element type [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Flattening only one level
• Not checking if element is array
• Ignoring nested deeper arrays