What are the limitations of recursion in Python?

In Python, the main limitation of recursion is the maximum depth of recursive calls, which is set to prevent stack overflow.

• Depth limit: By default, Python has a limit on recursion depth. You can view it using sys.getrecursionlimit() and change it with sys.setrecursionlimit(). Increasing this limit can lead to memory stack overflow if the recursion is too deep.

import sys

# Get current recursion limit
current_limit = sys.getrecursionlimit()
print(f"Current recursion limit: {current_limit}")

# Set a new limit (use with caution)
# sys.setrecursionlimit(3000)

• Performance: Recursive calls can be less efficient due to overhead in creating stack frames for each call.
• Memory consumption: Each recursive call adds a frame to the call stack, increasing memory usage. Deep recursion can lead to MemoryError.

To overcome these limitations, iterative solutions or techniques such as tail recursion optimization (although Python does not support explicit tail recursion optimization) or explicit stack management are often used.