Data Structures and Algorithms · Techniques

Backtracking

Trying a choice, recursing, and undoing it if it leads nowhere, to explore all possibilities.

Also known as: state-space search, N-Queens, constraint search.

Start a lesson on Backtracking

Learn first

• Recursion: A function solving a problem by calling itself on a smaller version of the same problem.

Related topics

• Graph traversal (BFS and DFS): Visiting every reachable vertex, either level by level (BFS) or by diving deep first (DFS).
• Dynamic programming: Solving a problem by caching answers to overlapping subproblems instead of recomputing them.