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Question

What are the possible ways to solve a stack overflow caused by an recursive algorithm?

Example

I'm trying to solve Project Euler problem 14 and decided to try it with a recursive algorithm. However, the program stops with a java.lang.StackOverflowError. Understandably. The algorithm indeed overflowed the stack because I tried to generate a Collatz sequence for a very large number.

Solutions

So I was wondering: what standard ways are there to solve a stack overflow assuming your recursive algorithm was written correctly and would always end up overflowing the stack? Two concepts that came to mind were:

• a) tail recursion
• b) iteration

Are ideas a) and b) correct? Are there other options?

Edit

It would help to see some code, preferably in Java, C#, Groovy or Scala.

Perhaps don't use the Project Euler problem mentioned above so it won't get spoiled for others, but take some other algorithm. Factorial maybe, or something similar.

Question

What are the possible ways to solve a stack overflow caused by an recursive algorithm?

Example

I'm trying to solve Project Euler problem 14 and decided to try it with a recursive algorithm. However, the program stops with a java.lang.StackOverflowError. Understandably. The algorithm indeed overflowed the stack because I tried to generate a Collatz sequence for a very large number.

Solutions

So I was wondering: what standard ways are there to solve a stack overflow assuming your recursive algorithm was written correctly and would always end up overflowing the stack? Two concepts that came to mind were:

1. tail recursion
2. iteration

Are ideas (1) and (2) correct? Are there other options?

Edit

It would help to see some code, preferably in Java, C#, Groovy or Scala.

Perhaps don't use the Project Euler problem mentioned above so it won't get spoiled for others, but take some other algorithm. Factorial maybe, or something similar.

Question

What are the possible ways to solve a stack overflow caused by an recursive algorithm?

Example

I'm trying to solve Project Euler problem 14 and decided to try it with a recursive algorithm. However, the program stops with a java.lang.StackOverflowError. Understandably. The algorithm indeed overflowed the stack because I tried to generate a Collatz sequence for a very large number.

Solutions

So I was wondering: what standard ways are there to solve a stack overflow assuming your recursive algorithm was written correctly and would always end up overflowing the stack? Two concepts that came to mind were:

• a) tail recursion
• b) iteration

Are ideas a) and b) correct? Are there other options?

Edit 11.04.2013

It would help to see some code, preferably in Java, C#, Groovy or Scala.

Perhaps don't use the Project Euler problem mentioned above so it won't get spoiled for others, but take some other algorithm. Factorial maybe, or something similar.

Question

What are the possible ways to solve a stack overflow caused by an recursive algorithm?

Example

I'm trying to solve Project Euler problem 14 and decided to try it with a recursive algorithm. However, the program stops with a java.lang.StackOverflowError. Understandably. The algorithm indeed overflowed the stack because I tried to generate a Collatz sequence for a very large number.

Solutions

So I was wondering: what standard ways are there to solve a stack overflow assuming your recursive algorithm was written correctly and would always end up overflowing the stack? Two concepts that came to mind were:

• a) tail recursion
• b) iteration

Are ideas a) and b) correct? Are there other options?

Edit

It would help to see some code, preferably in Java, C#, Groovy or Scala.

Perhaps don't use the Project Euler problem mentioned above so it won't get spoiled for others, but take some other algorithm. Factorial maybe, or something similar.

Question

What are the possible ways to solve a stack overflow caused by an recursive algorithm?

Example

I'm trying to solve Project Euler problem 14 and decided to try it with a recursive algorithm. However, the program stops with a java.lang.StackOverflowError. Understandably. The algorithm indeed overflowed the stack because I tried to generate a Collatz sequence for a very large number.

Solutions

So I was wondering: what standard ways are there to solve a stack overflow assuming your recursive algorithm was written correctly and would always end up overflowing the stack? Two concepts that came to mind were:

• a) tail recursion
• b) iteration

Are ideas a) and b) correct? Are there other options?

Question

What are the possible ways to solve a stack overflow caused by an recursive algorithm?

Example

I'm trying to solve Project Euler problem 14 and decided to try it with a recursive algorithm. However, the program stops with a java.lang.StackOverflowError. Understandably. The algorithm indeed overflowed the stack because I tried to generate a Collatz sequence for a very large number.

Solutions

So I was wondering: what standard ways are there to solve a stack overflow assuming your recursive algorithm was written correctly and would always end up overflowing the stack? Two concepts that came to mind were:

• a) tail recursion
• b) iteration

Are ideas a) and b) correct? Are there other options?

Edit 11.04.2013

It would help to see some code, preferably in Java, C#, Groovy or Scala.

Perhaps don't use the Project Euler problem mentioned above so it won't get spoiled for others, but take some other algorithm. Factorial maybe, or something similar.