Pascal's Triangle with Recursion

[UofSMark]

Hey everyone, I am new here. I have a Computer Science 2 Assignment due in a few days dealing with printing out the Nth row of pascal's triangle using a recursive method. Here is what I have so far:

class PascalTriangle {

public static int[] Pascal(int num){
int[] ans = new int[num];
if(num==1){
ans[0]=1;
}
else {
int[] pre = Pascal(num-1 + num);
}
return ans;
}

public static void main(String[] argv) throws IOException {
BufferedReader inBuf = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
System.out.print("Enter the row number: ");
StringTokenizer T = new StringTokenizer(inBuf.readLine());
while(T.countTokens()!=0){
int num = Integer.valueOf(T.nextToken()).intValue();
System.out.println("Row "+num+" of the Pascal Triangle is:");
int[] row = Pascal(num);
for(int i=0; i<num; i++)System.out.print(row[i]+"\t");
System.out.println();
System.out.print("Enter the row number: ");
T = new StringTokenizer(inBuf.readLine());
}
}

The problem is within my Pascal method, I can't quite figure out how to determine the rows using recursion. I have used recursion for a few assignments before this, so I understand the concepts. I was hoping someone would be willing to POINT ME into the right direction. Please don't give me an answer. By the way, my Professor said that it should take no more than 4-5 lines in the method.

[Joe Nellis]

Please re-edit your post and reformat your code block using the code tags.

Tell us what you think Pascal Triangle is.

[khp]

Originally posted by Joe Nellis
Tell us what you think Pascal Triangle is.

http://mathforum.org/workshops/usi/p.../fill.comb.gif

@UofSMark

Think about, how to get from the i-1'th row to the i'th row.
In the recursive method start by putting the i-1'th row in a temporary array, then construct the i'the row.

[UofSMark]

Originally posted by khp

Think about, how to get from the i-1'th row to the i'th row.
In the recursive method start by putting the i-1'th row in a temporary array, then construct the i'the row.

This is what I was trying to do with my int[] pre array. The origanol line was: int[] Pre = Pascal(num-1); But that got me no where. Atleast I know I was on the right track from your response, thanks.

[dlorde]

In your 'else' branch, you need to get the n-1'th row then calculate the current (n'th) row from it:

   else {
      // get the previous row
      int[] previousRow = Pascal(num-1);

      // now calculate the current row from the previousRow 
      ans = getNextRow(previousRow);
   }
   return ans;
}

I'll leave the calculation of the next row to you...

God is in the details...
M. van der Rohe

[UofSMark]

Originally posted by dlorde
In your 'else' branch, you need to get the n-1'th row then calculate the current (n'th) row from it:

   else {
      // get the previous row
      int[] previousRow = Pascal(num-1);

      // now calculate the current row from the previousRow 
      ans = getNextRow(previousRow);
   }
   return ans;
}

I'll leave the calculation of the next row to you...

God is in the details...
M. van der Rohe

Thank you, if I have any more problems I will post.