Converting a recursive function to tail recursive - c

Question

I have the following recursive function to count all the nodes having value 20, in a circular doubly linked list. I need to convert this to tail recursive function to prevent safety issues. Please help me with the same. Thanks
int count(node *start)
{
return count_helper(start, start);
}
int count_helper(node *current, node *start)
{
int c;
c = 0;
if(current == NULL)
return 0;
if((current->roll_no) == 20)
c = 1;
if(current->next == start) return c;
return (c + count_helper(current->next, start));
}

Answer 1

In order to take advantage of tail recursion, the recursive call simply has to be the last thing performed. Currently, the only thing standing in the way of this goal is an addition. So, to transform the function, that addition has to be moved around. A common way to accomplish this is by passing the variable c as a parameter to the recursive helper function, as so:
int count(node *start)
{
return count_helper(start,start,0);
}
int count_helper(node *current, node *start, int c)
{
if(current == NULL)
return c;
if((current->roll_no) == 20)
c+=1;
if(current->next == start)
return c;
return count_helper(current->next, start,c);
}
This unrolls as follows (using gcc 4.6.1, as produced by gcc -S -O2):
count_helper:
.LFB23:
.cfi_startproc
pushl %ebx
.cfi_def_cfa_offset 8
.cfi_offset 3, -8
movl 8(%esp), %edx
movl 12(%esp), %ebx
movl 16(%esp), %eax
testl %edx, %edx
jne .L15
jmp .L10
.p2align 4,,7
.p2align 3
.L14:
testl %edx, %edx
je .L10
.L15:
xorl %ecx, %ecx
cmpl $20, 4(%edx)
movl (%edx), %edx
sete %cl
addl %ecx, %eax
cmpl %ebx, %edx
jne .L14 # <-- this is the key line right here
.L10:
popl %ebx
.cfi_def_cfa_offset 4
.cfi_restore 3
ret
.cfi_endproc
Compare this to your original (done without -O2, as apparently the compiler finds a way to make your original tail recursive as well, although in the process it mucks it up so much that I can barely read it):
count_helper:
.LFB1:
.cfi_startproc
pushl %ebp
.cfi_def_cfa_offset 8
.cfi_offset 5, -8
movl %esp, %ebp
.cfi_def_cfa_register 5
subl $40, %esp
movl $0, -12(%ebp)
cmpl $0, 8(%ebp)
jne .L3
movl $0, %eax
jmp .L4
.L3:
movl 8(%ebp), %eax
movl 4(%eax), %eax
cmpl $20, %eax
jne .L5
movl $1, -12(%ebp)
.L5:
movl 8(%ebp), %eax
movl (%eax), %eax
cmpl 12(%ebp), %eax
jne .L6
movl -12(%ebp), %eax
jmp .L4
.L6:
movl 8(%ebp), %eax
movl (%eax), %eax
movl 12(%ebp), %edx
movl %edx, 4(%esp)
movl %eax, (%esp)
call count_helper # <-- this is the key line right here
addl -12(%ebp), %eax
.L4:
leave
.cfi_restore 5
.cfi_def_cfa 4, 4
ret
.cfi_endproc