Factorial recursion gives 'too much recursion' error

Question

I created a calculator that runs without using any javascript arithmetic operators, and as a result multiplication is just recursive addition. The factorial recursion method also uses this multiplication method. Is there any way I could change the factorial method to not give this error?

The only thing I could think of is making the multiplication with for loops instead of recursion, but I would prefer to keep it recursive.

https://code.sololearn.com/WcyB3sbZalbz/

Answer 1

deep recursion usually leads to something called a stack overflow. when a function is called the return adress is stored on the stack. i assume it is similar with javascript

Answer 2

I added a loop to output all positive factorials up to 200!
I'm unsure how the recursion issue gets a chance to arise [I did not duplicate it], because the fact() operation simply returns 0 between 17! and 200! (note on max integer below)

7: 5040
8: 40320
... correct to here

... incorrect from here
9: 35200 (off by 327680)
...
16 = 32768
17 = 32768
18 = 0
...
200 = 0

Note once fixed: any results above 78! will be corrupt if you use Javascript's built-in numbers or parseInt (79! exceeds MAX_SAFE_INT).

Answer 3

Max - try adding an alert(fact(10000)). It just alerts 0.

So...I'm curious where it's arising. Maybe I'm not doing it right by just calling the function directly like that :/

Answer 4

I think that the problem is that your code handle basic operation with 16-bit integer and this make problem on operations that overflow this limit (like factorial do for sure)... In practice you have to not limit your int representing with fixed 16-bit/chars but you have to make with variable length

Answer 5

Kirk Schafer The error was only occasionally happening, when i inplemented it into the input bar i seemed to be getting the error the most. The part with the overflow error makes sense to me though i shouldve stated it happened when i put in numbers like 4 I will try again though.