Minimalistic Memoization (Python, 16 lines)

The Function memoize looks like a python decorator to me(http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0318/ ),

IMHO, code can be more pythonic and still minimalistic if we declare fib this way using decorators

@memoize fib(n)

also we don't need to use the line : fib = memoize(fib) after this change

I don't know though if decorators were not used on purpose..

Update: I have commented updated code on recipe's page - http://code.activestate.com/recipes/577219-minimalistic-memo...

Be sure to crank up your recursion limit to at least 1459 if you want the posted example to work.

Not having worked much with Python, what's the * next to x in lines 9 and 11 about?

http://docs.python.org/reference/expressions.html#calls

Line 9: A formal parameter using the syntax * identifier receives a tuple containing any excess positional arguments.

Line 11: When the syntax * expression appears in the function call, expression evaluates to a sequence, the elements of which are treated as if they were the positional arguments.