# How can I convert a for loop to a recursive function?

My loop is pretty simple. The function takes in two parameters, a and b; both are integers where a<=b. The function will then create a list of numbers from a to b.

This is what I created:

 def cat(a,b):
j = []
for i in range (a,b):
j.append(a+1)
a +=1


I honestly cannot figure out how to turn this into a recursive function.. I have tried things which I realize don't make any sense and I'm not really sure where to start. Any help would really be appreciated :) Thanks

• The code you've shown us does not work in Python, as it is badly formatted. Also note that the a += 1 statement has no effect at all and you can just delete it. And also, there is no return statement. How about if you first show us a working solution without recursion, so that we can be sure you know what you're asking? Jun 10, 2017 at 12:28
• This is awfully close to a programming question (which would be offtopic here), but answers that explore the principles of converting loops to recursion would be a good fit here.
– Raphael
Jun 10, 2017 at 12:33
• The range should be range(a,b+1). Jun 10, 2017 at 12:46
• @Raphael IMO, it is a programming question, pure and simple. The question asks nothing about general principles. Jun 10, 2017 at 13:10

Here is a recursive version of this procedure, in python:

def cat(a,b):
if a == b:
return [a]
else:
return [a] + cat(a+1,b)


Another option is

def cat(a,b):
if a == b:
return [b]
else:
return cat(a,b-1) + [b]


These conversions are heavily geared toward this particular function. Here is a more general conversion, in the context of state machines without input (inputs can easily be added):

def run_my_algorithm(state = None):
if state is None:
state = initial_state
if is_final_state(state):