Profiling, recursive func slower than imperative, normal?

[skanemupp at yahoo.se]

the 0.409 vs 0.095 is the total times right?
so the imperative function is >4 times faster than the recursive.
or what does tottime stand for?

is this always the case that the recursive function is slower?
the gain is less code?

are some functions only implementable recursively?



def power(nbr, po):
    if po==0:
        return 1
    if po>0:
        return nbr*power(nbr, po-1)
    if po<0:
        return 1/power(nbr, -1*po)

109992 function calls (10002 primitive calls) in 0.409 CPU seconds

   Ordered by: standard name

   ncalls  tottime  percall  cumtime  percall
filename:lineno(function)
        1    0.015    0.015    0.409    0.409 <pyshell#217>:1(test1)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.409    0.409 <string>:1(<module>)
109989/9999    0.394    0.000    0.394    0.000 myMath.py:39(power)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.000    0.000 {method 'disable' of
'_lsprof.Profiler' objects}



def power2(nbr, po):
    acc=1
    if po >= 1:
        acc=nbr
        for x in range(1, po):
            acc=acc*nbr
    if po < 0:
        if nbr!=0:
            acc=1
            for x in range(0, po, -1):
                acc=acc/nbr
        else:
            return "Division by zero"
    return acc


20001 function calls in 0.095 CPU seconds

   Ordered by: standard name

   ncalls  tottime  percall  cumtime  percall
filename:lineno(function)
        1    0.026    0.026    0.095    0.095 <pyshell#221>:1(test1)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.095    0.095 <string>:1(<module>)
     9999    0.051    0.000    0.069    0.000 myMath.py:47(power2)
        1    0.000    0.000    0.000    0.000 {method 'disable' of
'_lsprof.Profiler' objects}
     9999    0.017    0.000    0.017    0.000 {range}