I have an algorithm, and I would like to find out the complexity of it, but there is recursion, and I don't know how to count with recursion. My code is:

public boolean algorithm(int x, int y) {
    if (x == matrixHeight - 1 && matrix1[x][y] == '0') {
        return true;
    } else if (x == 1 && matrix1[x-1][y] == '0') {
        return true;
    } else if (y == matrixWidth - 1 && matrix2[x][y] == '0') {
        return true;
    } else if (y == 1 && matrix2[x][y-1] == '0') {
        return true;
    }
    if (matrix1[x-1][y] == '0' && tempMatrix[x-1][y] == '-'){
        path.push(new int[]{x-1, y});
        tempMatrix[x-1][y] = '+'
        if (!algorithm(x-1, y)) {
            path.pop();
        } else {
            return true;
        }
    }
    if (matrix2[x][y] == '0' && tempMatrix[x][y+1] == '-'){
        path.push(new int[]{x, y+1});
        tempMatrix[x][y+1] = '+';
        if (!algorithm(x, y+1)) {
            path.pop();
        } else {
            return true;
        }
    }
    if (matrix1[x][y] == '0' && tempMatrix[x+1][y] == '-'){
        path.push(new int[]{x+1, y});
        tempMatrix[x+1][y] = '+';
        if (!algorithm(x+1, y)) {
            path.pop();
        } else {
            return true;
        }
    }
    if (matrix2[x][y-1] == '0' && tempMatrix[x][y-1] == '-'){
        path.push(new int[]{x, y-1});
        tempMatrix[x][y-1] = '+';
        if (!algorithm(x, y-1)) {
            path.pop();
        } else {
            return true;
        }
    }
    return false;
}

• There, x, y are coordinates in matrix.
• matrix1 and matrix2 are two-dimensional arrays that contain '0' or '1'
• tempMatrix is a two-dimensional array that contains '+' or '-'
• path is a Stack
• matrixHeight is matrix1.length
• matrixWidth is matrix[0].length
• N, M is the size of the matrix (constant)

Note: this is maze solver that uses backtrack.

It looks like a depth first maze solver that returns true if you can exit the labyrinth and false otherwise. The complexity is O(lines * columns) because you visit each cell a constant number of times in the worst case.

1 1 1 1
1 0 0 1
0 0 0 1
1 1 1 1

Start at (1, 1). Your algorithm will go up, backtrack, go right, try up again, backtrack, right again, backtrack, then down and so on. For labyrinths constructed like this it looks like your algorithm will spend a lot of time solving them.

In fact, most recursive (depth first to be more accurate) approaches will spend a long time, because it will always be possible to force them to do a maximum number of steps.

Look into the Lee algorithm for a better approach.

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