What will be the output of the following C++ code?
Asked In:
BPSC TRE 1.0
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
long factorial(long a)
{
if (a > 1)
return a * factorial(a + 1);
else
return 1;
}
int main()
{
long num = 3;
cout << num << "!=" << factorial(num);
return 0;
}
Options
-
A.
6
-
B.
24
-
C.
Segmentation fault
-
D.
More than one of the above
-
E.
None of the above
Correct Answer (Detailed Explanation is Below)
C.
Segmentation fault
Detailed Explanation
Correct Answer: Option C (intended answer)Explanation:The recursive call uses
factorial(a + 1). Starting with 3, the values keep increasing: 3, 4, 5, 6, and so on. The condition
a > 1 remains true, so the base case is never reached. This causes unbounded recursion and may result in a stack overflow or segmentation fault. Strictly speaking, a segmentation fault is not guaranteed by the C++ standard, so Option C is the likely intended exam answer.
