here is my recursive solution.
vector<vector<int> > getSubsets(vector<int> a){
//base case
//if there is just one item then its subsets are that item and empty item
//for example all subsets of {1} are {1}, {}
if(a.size() == 1){
vector<vector<int> > temp;
temp.push_back(a);
vector<int> b;
temp.push_back(b);
return temp;
}
else
{
//here is what i am doing
// getSubsets({1, 2, 3})
//without = getSubsets({1, 2})
//without = {1}, {2}, {}, {1, 2}
//with = {1, 3}, {2, 3}, {3}, {1, 2, 3}
//total = {{1}, {2}, {}, {1, 2}, {1, 3}, {2, 3}, {3}, {1, 2, 3}}
//return total
int last = a[a.size() - 1];
a.pop_back();
vector<vector<int> > without = getSubsets(a);
vector<vector<int> > with = without;
for(int i=0;i<without.size();i++){
with[i].push_back(last);
}
vector<vector<int> > total;
for(int j=0;j<without.size();j++){
total.push_back(without[j]);
}
for(int k=0;k<with.size();k++){
total.push_back(with[k]);
}
return total;
}
}