Factorial Using Recursion

CODE

class FactorialUsingRecursion
{
    public static void main(String s[])
    {
        System.out.println("Factorial of 5 is " + factorial(5) );
    }
    
    public static int factorial(int i)
    {
        if( i == 1 )    // LINE A
        {
            return 1;
        }
    
        return i * factorial(i - 1); // LINE B
    }
}

OUTPUT

Factorial of 5 is 120

DESCRIPTION

The method factorial defined here is a recursive method. As we can see at LINE B, it is calling itself. It also has a condition in LINE A. When this condition is true, it will not call itself, hence stopping the recursive calls.
As we know the factorial of any number is the product of all the numbers before it. We know factorial of n is

factorial(n) = 1 * 2 * 3 * .... * n-1 * n

This can be rewritten as

factorial(n) = n * factorial(n-1);
factorial(n-1) = (n - 1) * factorial(n-2);
...
...
factorial(3) = 3 * factorial(2);
factorial(2) = 2 * factorial(1);
factorial(1) = 1;

Using this principle, for calculating the factorial of 5 : factorial(5) = 5 * factorial(4)
and for 4 : factorial(4) = 4 * factorial(3)
and for 3 : factorial(3) = 3 * factorial(2)
and for 2 : factorial(2) = 2 * factorial(1).
Since we have the given the factorial(1) as 1 in LINE A, it will not call the method again and simply returns 1.

Since the recursion stops when the i value is 1, the factorials will be calculated, as shown below.

factorial(1) = 1;
factorial(2) = 2 * factorial(1) = 2 * 1 = 2;
factorial(3) = 3 * factorial(2) = 3 * 2 = 6;
factorial(4) = 4 * factorial(3) = 4 * 6 = 24;
factorial(5) = 5 * factorial(4) = 5 * 24 = 120;

Try it Online

Factorial Using Recursion - Java Example Program