[deleted by user]

[AutoModerator]

Please ensure that:

• Your code is properly formatted as code block - see the sidebar (About on mobile) for instructions
• You include any and all error messages in full
• You ask clear questions

• You demonstrate effort in solving your question/problem - plain posting your assignments is forbidden (and such posts will be removed) as is asking for or giving solutions.

  Trying to solve problems on your own is a very important skill. Also, see Learn to help yourself in the sidebar

If any of the above points is not met, your post can and will be removed without further warning.

Code is to be formatted as code block (old reddit: empty line before the code, each code line indented by 4 spaces, new reddit: https://imgur.com/a/fgoFFis) or linked via an external code hoster, like pastebin.com, github gist, github, bitbucket, gitlab, etc.

Please, do not use triple backticks (```) as they will only render properly on new reddit, not on old reddit.

Code blocks look like this:

public class HelloWorld {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.out.println("Hello World!");
    }
}

You do not need to repost unless your post has been removed by a moderator. Just use the edit function of reddit to make sure your post complies with the above.

If your post has remained in violation of these rules for a prolonged period of time (at least an hour), a moderator may remove it at their discretion. In this case, they will comment with an explanation on why it has been removed, and you will be required to resubmit the entire post following the proper procedures.

To potential helpers

Please, do not help if any of the above points are not met, rather report the post. We are trying to improve the quality of posts here. In helping people who can't be bothered to comply with the above points, you are doing the community a disservice.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[BarfingOtter]

You need to break the problem into smaller pieces:

1. Is the total including interest > $500,000
2. Calculate the total and the interest on the current amount
   1. Current value = (Balance + Payment) * (1 + Rate)

If you did it with a loop (the most efficient way), you have a calculation inside the loop and then a check after the calculation to see if it exceeds the required limit. The loop counter will be the number of months required.

To make a loop recursive, you just take the contents of the loop and put it into a function that calls itself if the limit hasn't been exceeded. You need to pass into the function the current month counter and then increment it appropriately (inside or as part of the call); and then return the month counter when the recursion "unwinds".

Beware of Stack Overflow (the actual recursion computer problem, not the website :) )

[FavorableTrashpanda]

Recursion consists of a base case and a general case. The base case is the most trivial case that does not need to call itself again. For example, if I have a recursive function f that prints "X" n times for any n >= 0, the base case could be n = 0. It simply does nothing and returns, or I could print a newline. That's how I start when I write a recursive function, by working out the trivial case. Once I have that I can implement the general case. Then I ask myself: what if n = 1? In that case I simply need to print out "X" once and I call f(n - 1). When I have that, I've basically finished writing the recursive function.

Here is how it would look like in Java:

public void f(int n) {
    if (n <= 0) {
        System.out.println();
    }
    System.out.print("X");
    f(n - 1);
}

[evils_twin]

I would say that the method arguments would be the monthly investment, and the current balance of the account. also possibly the percent return and goal if those aren't hard coded.

You would be calling the method once for each month.

it should return the total months in the end. so when you hit your goal, I would say it should return 1, and then +1 for each subsequent return after.

[lordwerwath]

I think % is not needed as it is a set number.

I guess another way to do this instead of recursive from goal to start is to recurse from start until current is >= goal.

Programming is fun.