Recursion is a powerful programming technique in which a function calls itself to solve a problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable subproblems. This approach is particularly useful for problems that can be defined in terms of simpler instances of themselves, such as calculating factorials, traversing trees, and solving problems like the Fibonacci sequence. A recursive function typically consists of two main components: the base case and the recursive case. The base case is a condition that stops the recursion when a specific condition is met, ensuring that the function does not continue to call itself indefinitely. The recursive case contains the logic for the function to call itself with modified arguments, progressively moving closer to the base case. While recursion can lead to elegant and concise solutions, it also has potential downsides, including increased memory usage due to the function call stack and the risk of stack overflow errors in languages with limited stack depth. In many cases, recursive solutions can be transformed into iterative solutions using loops, which may offer better performance. Understanding recursion is essential for mastering algorithms and data structures, as it provides a fundamental concept for problem-solving in computer science and helps build a strong foundation for more advanced topics.