Fun Fact: The concept of recursion finds its roots intertwined with the ancient technique of mathematical induction, a method of proof that traces back to the mathematical luminaries of ancient Greece, particularly Euclid and Archimedes.

Mathematical induction operates on the principle of establishing the truth of a statement for an initial value, known as the base case, and then proving that if the statement holds true for any given case, it must also hold true for the next case. This process forms an unbroken chain of reasoning, much like the iterative calling of a recursive function.

Euclid, known as the "father of geometry," employed a form of induction in his seminal work "Elements" to prove propositions about the properties of numbers and geometric figures. Archimedes, one of history's greatest mathematicians, also utilized a precursor to induction in his method of exhaustion, which he employed to calculate areas and volumes of shapes.

While the formalization of mathematical induction as a proof technique didn't occur until much later, with the works of mathematicians like Pascal and Fermat in the 17th century, its intuitive essence was present in the deductive reasoning of the ancient Greeks.

I am a nerd and this kind of things makes me chuckle.