Write a recursive function to return the number of times a specified number occurs in an array.

Question: Write a recursive function to count the occurrences of a specified number in an array. Explain the steps involved in creating such a function. Answer: To write a recursive function to count the occurrences of a specified number in an array, follow these steps: 1. Understand the concept of recursion: Recursion is a programming technique where a function calls itself to iterate through a data structure or to solve a problem. It requires a base case to stop the recursion and prevent infinite loops. 2. Create a base case for the recursive function: The base case is when there are no more elements left in the array to analyze. In this case, the function should return 0 as the count of occurrences. 3. Write a recursive function that iterates through the array: Define a function named "countOccurrences" that takes three parameters: an array, the specified number, and an index (initialize it to 0). This index will help us keep track of where we are in the array. 4. Count the number of occurrences of the specified number: Inside the function, check if the index is equal to the length of the array (base case). If so, return 0. Compare the current element in the array (at the given index) with the specified number. If they are equal, it means we found a match, so call the function recursively with the next index and add 1 to the result. Otherwise, just call the function recursively with the next index. 5. Return the final count of occurrences: After the base case is met and the function returns 0, the recursive calls will start returning the count of occurrences. The final result will be returned by the first call to the function, which will be the total count of occurrences of the specified number in the array. Here's the complete code for the recursive function: ```python def countOccurrences(arr, number, index=0): if index == len(arr): return 0 if arr[index] == number: return 1 + countOccurrences(arr, number, index+1) else: return countOccurrences(arr, number, index+1) ```