Recursion solves a problem by invoking the same procedure on smaller instances, with base cases answered directly. For merge sort, an empty or one-entry array is already sorted, and every larger array is split into two shorter parts. The decreasing lengths justify termination; a self-call without a progress rule would not suffice.
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Recursion in computer science is a programming technique where a function calls itself directly or indirectly to solve a problem. It is commonly used to solve problems that can be broken down into smaller subproblems of the same type. ### Key Components of Recursion: 1. **Base Case**: This is a condition that stops the recursion. It defines the simplest instance of the problem that can be solved without further recursion.
