Start by considering the cost of passing parameters in a simple recursive function call, such as a factorial calculation, to understand the baseline overhead.

Extend your analysis to a divide-and-conquer algorithm like Merge Sort, where parameters (subarrays) are passed in each recursive call, and calculate the total parameter-passing cost across all levels of recursion.

Generalize your findings to derive a mathematical formula for the parameter-passing cost in a divide-and-conquer algorithm with arbitrary input size and recursion depth, accounting for factors like array slicing and reference vs. value passing.