function that call itself

Question

``` javascript
function power(base, exponent) {
    if (exponent === 8) {
        return 1;
    } else {
        return base*power(base, exponent - 1);
    }
}
console.log(power(2, 3));
```
The result could return 8, but in my case the console return this error:
'RangeError: Maximum call stack size exceeded'
What's wrong?

Steve Hunter · Accepted Answer

Hi Giovanni, 
The method calls itself and will recursively pass the parameters into itself and there is nothing to stop that except system errors due to memory leakage or mathematical problems (or if exponent becomes equal to 8, which it can't with the call you have made).
It'll just keep going round but never be able to unravel the layers of method calls to resolve back to the first call you made to it. In the debugger, you will see the method step into itself continuously with each layer generating a further layer of execution as the method calls into itself. 
I hope that makes sense! 
Steve.

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Giovanni Dalla Rizza

Giovanni Dalla Rizza

function that call itself

1 Answer

Steve Hunter

Steve Hunter