In which scenario would you typically use recursion?

Recursion is a technique where a function calls itself in order to solve a problem. It is especially useful in scenarios that can be broken down into smaller, similar subproblems. One of the classic examples of where recursion shines is in traversing tree structures.

Trees are inherently recursive data structures, where each node can be thought of as the root of its own subtree. When you need to perform operations like searching, inserting, or deleting nodes, recursion allows you to navigate through the tree by processing each node and then calling the same function on its children. This approach not only simplifies the code but also makes it easier to manage complex structures like trees, where the depth of the structure can vary significantly.

In contrast, looping through arrays, solving iterative problems, and displaying user interfaces generally do not require the self-referential nature of recursion, as they can be efficiently managed with iterative constructs or direct manipulation. Hence, utilizing recursion in tree traversal leverages the structure’s recursive nature and enhances code readability and maintainability.