如何确保递归终止？

Question

In this Example the function terminates in a strange way, although the values don't change (no base case is reached)

#include<stdio.h>


int power(int a, int b);


int main(){

    int a;
    int b;
    printf(" Enter number: ");
    scanf(" %d",&a);
    printf(" Enter it's power: ");
    scanf( " %d",&b);
    printf("\n\n Result: %d",power(a,b));
}

int power(int a, int b){

    if( b == 0)
    return 1;
    if ( a == 0)
    return 0;
    if ( b == 1)
    return a;
    else return a*(b,a); //shouldn't it be: "else return a*(a,b-1);" , how does this work!
}

Answer 1

This function is actually not recursive since it's not calling itself:

else return a*(b,a);

All it's doing is returning a*a . It should be:

else return a*power(a,b-1);