why isnt it working? (factorial program)

Question

public class Main
{
public static void main(String[] args) {
int fact = 4;
int myNum = factorial(fact);
System.out.println(myNum);

}

public static int factorial(int number){

if (number == 0){
return 0;
}else{
return (number * factorial(number -1));
}

}
}

Answer 1

if (number == 0)
{
return 1;
}

Answer 2

yahel for your code output => 4*3*2*1*0 =0
For the return 1 =>4*3*2*1=24

Answer 3

M Tamim thanks 🙏🏼

Answer 4

M Tamim , Thanks! but why does it matter?

Answer 5

yahel
bcz, return 0, multiplies the whole thing with 0, so the eventual result you get, is 0...!!

Answer 6

M Tamim how does it multiply it by 0 if they are in different return statements? How can such a thing happen?

Answer 7

yahel
look, suppose the number is 3,

so, you get,

return(3 * factorial(3-1))

now, factorial(3-1) returns 2*factorial(2-1)

so we get,
→ return(3*2*factorial(1))
→ return(6*1*factorial(0))
now, fact(0) returns 0,
so we get
→ return(6*0)
→ 0

that's how we get 0, though they are under two different return statements. (simple recursion)