Recursive algorithms and recursive definitions

     What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything? Better yet, who starts out a tutorial on recursion with a question like that? Some will muse that the answer to the former is 42, but that is debatable, and we will use this question as a great introduction into recursion. And of course, to answer the latter is, well... me. By the end of this tutorial, we will have learned the skills required to answer this question, which has bothered philosophers, scientists, and generally all sentient, bipedal, carbon-based life forms on the third rock from the sun. So what are you waiting for? Jump into the tutorial, but no skipping any sections... or you might not know what’s going on. And you wouldn’t want to fail the little quiz at the end, or you won’t be able to get the conclusion of our little question.