Print a pattern without using any loop

Given a number n, print following a pattern without using any loop.

Examples :

Input: n = 16
Output: 16, 11, 6, 1, -4, 1, 6, 11, 16

Input: n = 10
Output: 10, 5, 0, 5, 10

We basically first reduce 5 one by one until we reach a negative or 0. After we reach 0 or negative, we one add 5 until we reach n.

Source: Microsoft Interview Question.

We strongly recommend that you click here and practice it, before moving on to the solution.

The idea is to use recursion. It is an interesting question to try on your own.

Below is the Code. The code uses a flag variable to indicate whether we are moving toward 0 or we are moving toward the back to n.

C++

// C++ program to print pattern that first reduces 5 one  
// by one, then adds 5. Without any loop 
#include <iostream> 
using namespace std; 
  
// Recursive function to print the pattern. 
// n indicates input value 
// m indicates current value to be printed 
// flag indicates whether we need to add 5 or 
// subtract 5.  Initially flag is true. 
void printPattern(int n, int m, bool flag) 
{ 
    // Print m. 
    cout << m << " "; 
     
    // If we are moving back toward the n and 
    // we have reached there, then we are done 
    if (flag == false && n ==m) 
        return;   
     
    // If we are moving toward 0 or negative. 
    if (flag) 
    { 
      // If m is greater, then 5, recur with true flag 
      if (m-5 > 0)  
         printPattern(n, m-5, true); 
      else // recur with false flag 
         printPattern(n, m-5, false); 
    } 
    else // If flag is false. 
         printPattern(n, m+5, false); 
} 
  
// Recursive function to print the pattern 
// variance where m is the input int32 value 
void PrintPattern(int m) 
{ 
    if (m > 0) 
    { 
        cout << m << '\n'; 
        PrintPattern(m - 5); 
    } 
  
    cout << m << '\n'; 
} 
  
// Driver Program 
int main() 
{ 
     int n = 16; 
     //printPattern(n, n, true); 
     PrintPattern(n); 
    return 0; 
} 

Java

// Java program to print pattern that first reduces 5 one 
// by one, then adds 5. Without any loop 
import java.io.*; 
  
class GFG { 
      
    // Recursive function to print the pattern. 
    // n indicates input value 
    // m indicates current value to be printed 
    // flag indicates whether we need to add 5 or 
    // subtract 5. Initially flag is true. 
    static void printPattern(int n, int m, boolean flag) 
    { 
          
        // Print m. 
        System.out.print(m + " "); 
  
        // If we are moving back toward the n and 
        // we have reached there, then we are done 
        if (flag == false && n == m) 
            return; 
  
        // If we are moving toward 0 or negative. 
        if (flag) { 
  
            // If m is greater, then 5, recur with  
            // true flag 
            if (m - 5 > 0) 
                printPattern(n, m - 5, true); 
  
            else // recur with false flag 
                printPattern(n, m - 5, false); 
        } 
  
        else // If flag is false. 
            printPattern(n, m + 5, false); 
    } 
  
    // Driver Program 
    public static void main(String[] args) 
    { 
        int n = 16; 
        printPattern(n, n, true); 
    } 
} 
// This code is contributed by vt_m 

Python3

# Python program to print pattern  
# that first reduces 5 one by one, 
# then adds 5. Without any loop. 
  
# Recursive function to print  
# the pattern.n indicates  
# input value m indicates  
# current value to be printed 
# flag indicates whether we  
# need to add 5 or subtract 5. 
# Initially flag is True. 
def printPattern(n, m, flag): 
      
    # Print m. 
    print(m) 
      
    # If we are moving back  
    # toward the n and we  
    # have reached there, 
    # then we are done 
    if flag == False and n == m: 
        return
    # If we are moving  
    # toward 0 or negative. 
    if flag: 
    # If m is greater, then 5,  
    # recur with true flag 
        if m - 5 > 0:  
            printPattern(n, m - 5, True) 
        else: # recur with false flag 
            printPattern(n, m - 5, False) 
    else: # If flag is false. 
        printPattern(n, m + 5, False) 
  
# Driver Code 
n = 16
printPattern(n, n, True) 
  
# This code is contributed  
# by HrushikeshChoudhary 

C#

// C# program to print pattern that first reduces 5 one 
// by one, then adds 5. Without any loop 
using System; 
  
class GFG { 
      
    // Recursive function to print the pattern. 
    // n indicates input value 
    // m indicates current value to be printed 
    // flag indicates whether we need to add 5 or 
    // subtract 5. Initially flag is true. 
    static void printPattern(int n, int m, bool flag) 
    { 
          
        // Print m. 
        Console.Write(m + " "); 
  
        // If we are moving back toward the n and 
        // we have reached there, then we are done 
        if (flag == false && n == m) 
            return; 
  
        // If we are moving toward 0 or negative. 
        if (flag) { 
  
            // If m is greater, then 5, recur with  
            // true flag 
            if (m - 5 > 0) 
                printPattern(n, m - 5, true); 
  
            else // recur with false flag 
                printPattern(n, m - 5, false); 
        } 
  
        else // If flag is false. 
            printPattern(n, m + 5, false); 
    } 
  
    // Driver Program 
    public static void Main() 
    { 
        int n = 16; 
        printPattern(n, n, true); 
    } 
} 
// This code is contributed by vt_m 

PHP

<?php 
// PHP program to print pattern  
// that first reduces 5 one by one, 
// then adds 5. Without any loop 
  
// Recursive function to print  
// the pattern. n indicates input  
// value m indicates current value  
// to be printed flag indicates whether 
// we need to add 5 or subtract 5. 
// Initially flag is true. 
function printPattern($n, $m, $flag) 
{ 
    // Print m. 
    echo $m ," "; 
      
    // If we are moving back 
    // toward the n and we  
    // have reached there,  
    // then we are done 
    if ($flag == false && $n == $m) 
        return;  
      
    // If we are moving  
    // toward 0 or negative. 
    if ($flag) 
    { 
    // If m is greater, then 5, 
    // recur with true flag 
    if ($m - 5 > 0)  
        printPattern($n, $m - 5, true); 
      
    // recur with false flag 
    else 
        printPattern($n, $m - 5, false); 
    } 
      
    // If flag is false. 
    else 
        printPattern($n, $m + 5, false); 
} 
  
// Driver Code 
$n = 16; 
printPattern($n, $n, true); 
  
// This code is conntributed by m_kit 
?> 

Output :

16, 11, 6, 1, -4, 1, 6, 11, 16

How to print above pattern without any extra variable and loop?
The above program works fine and prints the desired out but uses extra variables. We can use two print statements. First one before the recursive call that prints all decreasing sequence. The second one after the recursive call to print increasing sequence. Below is the implementation of the idea.

C++

// C++ program to print pattern that first reduces 5 one  
// by one, then adds 5. Without any loop an extra variable. 
#include <iostream> 
using namespace std; 
  
// Recursive function to print the pattern without any extra 
// variable 
void printPattern(int n) 
{ 
     // Base case (When n becomes 0 or negative)   
     if (n ==0 || n<0) 
     { 
        cout << n << " "; 
        return;   
     } 
     
     // First print decreasing order 
     cout << n << " "; 
     printPattern(n-5); 
  
     // Then print increasing order 
     cout << n << " ";    
} 
  
// Driver Program 
int main() 
{ 
     int n = 16; 
     printPattern(n); 
    return 0; 
} 

Java

// Java program to print pattern that first  
// reduces 5 one by one, then adds 5.  
// Without any loop an extra variable. 
  
import java.io.*; 
  
class GFG { 
      
    // Recursive function to print the  
    // pattern without any extra variable 
    static void printPattern(int n) 
    { 
          
        // Base case (When n becomes 0 or  
        // negative) 
        if (n == 0 || n < 0) { 
              
            System.out.print(n + " "); 
              
            return; 
        } 
  
        // First print decreasing order 
        System.out.print(n + " "); 
          
        printPattern(n - 5); 
  
        // Then print increasing order 
        System.out.print(n + " "); 
    } 
  
    // Driver Program 
    public static void main(String[] args) 
    { 
          
        int n = 16; 
          
        printPattern(n); 
    } 
} 
  
// This code is contributed by vt_m 

Python3

# Python3 program to print pattern that  
# first reduces 5 one by one, then adds 5. 
# Without any loop an extra variable. 
  
# Recursive function to print the pattern  
# without any extra variable 
def printPattern(n): 
  
    # Base case (When n becomes 0 or negative)  
    if (n == 0 or n < 0): 
        print(n, end = ", ") 
        return
      
    # First print decreasing order 
    print(n, end = ", ") 
    printPattern(n - 5) 
  
    # Then print increasing order 
    print(n, end = ", ")  
  
# Driver Code 
n = 16
printPattern(n) 
  
# This code is contributed by 
# Mohit kumar 29 

C#

// C# program to print pattern that first  
// reduces 5 one by one, then adds 5.  
// Without any loop an extra variable. 
  
using System; 
  
class GFG { 
      
    // Recursive function to print the  
    // pattern without any extra variable 
    static void printPattern(int n) 
    { 
          
        // Base case (When n becomes 0 or  
        // negative) 
        if (n == 0 || n < 0) { 
              
             Console.Write(n + " "); 
              
            return; 
        } 
  
        // First print decreasing order 
          Console.Write(n + " "); 
          
        printPattern(n - 5); 
  
        // Then print increasing order 
           Console.Write(n + " "); 
    } 
  
    // Driver Program 
    public static void Main() 
    { 
          
        int n = 16; 
          
        printPattern(n); 
    } 
} 
  
// This code is contributed by vt_m 

PHP

<?php 
// PHP program to print pattern  
// that first reduces 5 one  
// by one, then adds 5. Without  
// any loop an extra variable. 
  
// Recursive function to print the 
// pattern without any extra variable 
function printPattern( $n) 
{ 
      
    // Base case (When n becomes  
    // 0 or negative)  
    if ($n == 0 or $n < 0) 
    { 
        echo $n , " "; 
        return;  
    } 
      
    // First print decreasing order 
    echo $n , " "; 
    printPattern($n-5); 
  
    // Then print increasing order 
    echo $n , " ";  
} 
  
    // Driver Code 
    $n = 16; 
    printPattern($n); 
  
// This code is contributed by anuj_67. 
?> 

Output:

16, 11, 6, 1, -4, 1, 6, 11, 16

Thanks to AKSHAY RATHORE for suggesting the above solution.

This article is contributed by Gautham. Please write comments if you find anything incorrect, or you want to share more information about the topic discussed above

My Personal Notes

We strongly recommend that you click here and practice it, before moving on to the solution.

C++

Java

Python3

C#

PHP

C++

Java

Python3

C#

PHP

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