Linked Lists

Master the implementation and operations of linear data structures.

Overview

Linked lists are linear data structures where elements are stored in nodes, and each node points to the next node in the sequence.

Types of Linked Lists

  1. Singly Linked List: Each node has data and a pointer to the next node.
  2. Doubly Linked List: Each node has data, a pointer to the next node, and a pointer to the previous node.
  3. Circular Linked List: The last node points back to the first node, forming a circle.

Key Operations

  • Insertion: O(1) time if inserting at the beginning, O(n) if inserting at a specific position
  • Deletion: O(1) time if deleting from the beginning, O(n) if deleting from a specific position
  • Traversal: O(n) time to traverse the entire list
  • Search: O(n) time in the worst case

Common Problems

  1. Reverse Linked List
  2. Detect Cycle in a Linked List
  3. Merge Two Sorted Lists
  4. Remove Nth Node From End of List
  5. Palindrome Linked List

Practice Problems

Study Tips

  • Start with easier problems and gradually increase difficulty
  • Focus on understanding the problem before coding
  • Review solutions even after solving to learn optimal approaches