How do recursive algorithms differ with iterative algorithms?

Recursive and iterative algorithms differ fundamentally in their approach to solving problems:

Aspect	Recursive Algorithm	Iterative Algorithm
Definition	Calls itself to solve smaller instances of the same problem.	Uses loops (e.g., `for`, `while`) to repeat steps.
Structure	Divides problem into subproblems (top-down).	Executes steps sequentially (bottom-up).
Memory Usage	Higher (stack frames for each call).	Lower (fixed memory for loop variables).
Readability	Often elegant for problems with recursive nature (e.g., tree traversals).	More intuitive for linear or repetitive tasks.
Termination	Relies on base case to stop recursion.	Relies on loop condition to terminate.
Performance	May suffer from overhead of function calls.	Generally faster for large inputs.
Example	Factorial (`fact(n) = n * fact(n-1)`).	Factorial (using `for` loop).

Recursion simplifies code for problems with self-similarity, while iteration is efficient for iterative processes.

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