Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about the Recursion Tree Visualizer.
What functions can I visualize?
Factorial, naive Fibonacci, and a divide-and-conquer example like binary search's call splits.
Is it free?
Completely free, no sign-up or limits.
Can I step through the recursion call by call?
Yes, play/pause/step controls animate the tree building in actual call order.
Why is there a cap on the input value?
Recursion trees grow exponentially for some functions (like Fibonacci); the cap keeps the diagram readable and the browser responsive.
What does the tool show about call-stack depth?
Each node is labelled with its recursion depth, and the current depth is highlighted during the animation.
Why does Fibonacci's tree get so big so fast?
Naive recursive Fibonacci recomputes the same subproblems repeatedly, causing exponential call growth — the tool visualizes and counts this.
Does it show return values?
Yes, once a call returns, its value is displayed on its node.
Is this useful for learning algorithm complexity?
Yes, seeing the actual call count helps build intuition for why some recursive approaches are inefficient.
Is my data stored?
No; everything runs in your browser.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes, the tree area scrolls horizontally on small screens.