Recursion October 5, 2009

Reading Read pp in the text.

Fractals Self replicating functions

Recursive Definition Recursive definition of Recursion: If you don’t understand it, See "Recursion". Recursion is different from a circular definition, because recursion always has a base case which when reached, terminates the recursion. Circular definition of Recursion: See "Recursion".

Functions and Recursion Functions can call another function –We saw in last week’s class that you can call a function from the draw() function. Today we learn that a function can call itself -- (Exceptions: not draw() or setup() ) A function calling itself is an example of recursion. In order to end the recursion, there must be a base case.

static int radius; void setup() { size(300,300); smooth(); radius = width; drawCircle(width/2, height/2); stroke(0); } void drawCircle (int x, int y) { println("r = " + radius); if (radius<2) { return; //BASE CASE } else { //println("r = " + radius); ellipse(x, y, radius, radius); radius/=2; drawCircle(x,y); }

Can You Make the Sketch More Interesting? What about making the the circles not quite concentric? void drawCircle (int x, int y) { println("r = " + radius); if (radius>2) { //println("r = " + radius); fill(125,200,255, 75); ellipse(x, y, radius, radius); radius/=2; drawCircle(x+(int)random(radius/4),y+(int)random(radius/4)); }//implied else is the base case }

static int radius; void setup() { size(300,300); smooth(); drawCircle(width/2, height/2, width/2, height/2); stroke(0); } void drawCircle (float x, float y, float w, float h) { println("w = " + w); if (w<2.0) { //base case return; } else { println("w = " + w); ellipse(x, y, w, h); drawCircle(x-w/2,y, w/2, h/2); drawCircle(x+w/2,y, w/2, h/2); }

Edit it! Modify the preceding program so there is no fill. Change the size to 500 x 500 pixels. –Change the end case to be w<5. Do you like that better? Try a larger number. Can you replicate the existing design vertically, rather than horizontally? –Add those two lines to the program

Recursion + Experimentation + Random = fun! The following program illustrates how a simple example program can evolve over a basketball halftime into an interesting design. The program divides the screen into 4 parts in a very regular fashion. It became more interesting when randomness in terms of color, quadrant divided and rectangle placement was added.

int d1; int d2; void setup() { size(600, 600); stroke(255); background(0); } void draw() { frameRate(10); fill(random(100, 255), random(100, 255), random(100, 255), random(20- 40)); fillScreen(width, height, 0, 0); } void fillScreen(int d1, int d2, int x1, int y1) { if (d1 > 5) { if (((int)(random(0,2))%2) == 0) { /*fillScreen(d1 / 2, d2 / 2, (int)random(x1-d1/2, x1+d1/2), (int)random(y1-d2/2, y1+d2/2)); uncomment this and comment the next line for more abstract version*/

fillScreen(d1 / 2, d2 / 2, x1, y1); } else { fillScreen(d1 / 2, d2 / 2, x1+d1/2, y1); } else { if (((int)(random(0,2))%2) == 0) { fillScreen(d1 / 2, d2 / 2, x1, y1+d2/2); } else { fillScreen(d1 / 2, d2 / 2, x1+d1/2, y1+d2/2); }

stroke(100,random(100,200), random(100,150),random(100, 150)); int increment = (int)(random(1,2)+.5)%2; if (increment == 0) { rect(x1, y1, d1, d2); rect(x1, y1+d2, d1, d2); } else { rect(x1, y1, d2, d1); rect(x1+d2, y1, d2, d1); }

Exercise Begin with one of the sample programs from this powerpoint or from your text and experiment with it to produce an aesthetically pleasing design that doesn’t look derivative.