LINKED LIST

Data Structure
Definition
A linked list is an ordered collection of finite, homogeneous data
elements called nodes where the linear order is maintained by means of
links or pointers.
• Linked list is called a dynamic data structure as the amount of
memory can be varied during use.
• Adjacency between memory elements is maintained by means of links
and nodes.
• A link is nothing but the address of the subsequent element.
• An element in a linked list is referred as Node, which consists of two
fields: DATA and LINK.

DS - Linked List
Single Linked List

 In a singly linked list, each node contains only one link which points to
the subsequent node in the list.

 HEADER is an empty node (data content NULL) and is used to store

a pointer to the first node N1.

 Starting from the first node one can reach the last node whose link
field does not contain any address but has a null value.

 In a single linked list one can move from left to right only, so its also
called one way list.

DS - Linked List
Representations of a Single Linked List

A single linked list can be represented in two ways:

 Static representation using Array

 Dynamic representation using free pool of storage

DS - Linked List
Static Representation
 2 arrays are maintained: one for
data, another for links.

 2 parallel arrays of equal size

are allocated which should be
sufficient to store the entire list.

 Though it contradicts the idea of

linked list but in programming
languages like ALGOL,
FORTRAN, BASIC etc. this is
the only way of representation.

DS - Linked List
Static Representation

DS - Linked List
Dynamic Representation
 In this process there’s a memory bank (a collection of memory spaces
available to the programmer) and a memory manager (a program).

 During creation of a linked list, when a node is required, the request is

sent to the memory manager.

 It then checks the memory bank for the requested block and if its
found then grants the block to the caller.

 There’s also a program called garbage collector. Whenever a node is

no more in use it send the unused node back to the memory bank.

 This type of memory management is known as Dynamic Memory

Management

DS - Linked List
Dynamic Representation

DS - Linked List
Operation on a Single Linked List
 Traversal

 Insertion

 Deletion

 Copy

 Merge

 Search

DS - Linked List
Traversing a Single Linked List
In traversing, we visit every single node in the list starting from the first to
last node.
Algorithm Traverse_SL
Input: HEADER is the pointer to the header node
Output: According to the Process()
Data Structure: A single linked list whose address of the starting node is
known from the HEADER.

1. ptr = HEADER → LINK

2. while(ptr=NULL)do
3. Process(ptr)
4. ptr=ptr → LINK
5. EndWhile
6. Stop

DS - Linked List
Inserting a node into a Single Linked List

Various positions are there for a node to be inserted:

 At the front (as a first element)

 At the end (as a last element)

 At any other position

DS - Linked List
Insertion…..contd….

Let us assume a procedure GetNode(NODE) to get a pointer of a

memory block which suits the type NODE. The procedure is to
understand how a node can be allocated. In C, C++ and Java, there are
library routines like alloc(), malloc() etc. to do the same.

Procedure GetNode
Input: NODE is the type of data for which a memory has to be allocated

Output: Return a message if the allocation fails else the pointer to the
memory block allocated.

DS - Linked List
Procedure GetNode
If(AVAIL=NULL)
Return(NULL)
Print "Insufficient memory: Unable to allocate memory"
Else
ptr=AVAIL //Start from location where AVAIL points
While(Sizeof(ptr)!=SizeOf(NODE)) and (ptr->LINK!=NULL) do
ptr1=ptr //to keep track of previous block
ptr=ptr->LINK //move to the next block
EndWhile
If(SizeOf(ptr)=SizeOf(NODE)) //memory block of right size is found
ptr1->LINK=ptr->LINK //update the avail list
Return(ptr)
Else
Print"The memory block is too large to fit"
Return(NULL)
EndIf
EndIf
Stop

DS - Linked List
Insertion at the front
Algorithm InsertFront_SL
Input: HEADER is the pointer to the header node and X is the data of the
node to be inserted
Output: A single linked list with a newly inserted node at the front
Data Structure: A single linked list whose address of the starting node is
known from the header
new = GetNode(NODE)
If(new=NULL)then
Print"Memory underflow: No insertion"
Exit
Else
new->LINK=HEADER->LINK //change of pointer1 as in fig.
new->DATA=X //copy the data X to newly availed node
HEADER->LINK=new //change of pointer2 as in fig.
EndIf
Stop

DS - Linked List
Insertion……contd…

DS - Linked List
Insertion at the end
Algorithm InsertFront_SL
Input: HEADER is the pointer to the header node and X is the data of the
node to be inserted
Output: A single linked list with a newly inserted node at the end
Data Structure: A single linked list whose address of the starting node is
known from the header
new = GetNode(NODE)
If(new=NULL)then
Print"Memory is insufficient: insertion not possible"
Exit
Else
ptr=HEADER
While(ptr->LINK!=NULL)do
ptr=ptr->LINK
EndWhile
ptr->LINK=new
new->DATA=X
EndIf
Stop

DS - Linked List
Insertion at the end……contd…

DS - Linked List
Insertion at any position
Algorithm InsertAny_SL
Input: HEADER is the pointer to the header node and X is the data of the
node to be inserted
Output: A single linked list with a newly inserted node having data X after
the node with data KEY
Data Structure: A single linked list whose address of the starting node is
known from the header

DS - Linked List
Insertion at any position……contd…
new = GetNode(NODE)
If(new=NULL)then
Print"Memory is insufficient: insertion not possible"
Exit
Else
ptr=HEADER
While(ptr.DATA!=KEY) and (ptr.LINK!=NULL)do
ptr->LINK
EndWhile
If(ptr.LINK=NULL)then
Print"KEY is not available in the list"
Exit
Else
new->LINK=ptr->LINK
new->DATA=X
ptr->LINK=new
EndIf
EndIf
Stop

DS - Linked List
Deletion of a node from a Single Linked List
Like Insertion operation, Deletion operation can also be executed
different positions:

 At the front of the list

 At the end of the list

 At any position

Let us consider a procedure ReturnNode(ptr) which returns a node

having pointer ptr to the free pool of storage.

DS - Linked List
Procedure ReturnNode(ptr)
new = GetNode(NODE)
If(new=NULL)then
Print"Memory is insufficient: insertion not possible"
Exit
Else
ptr=HEADER
While(ptr.DATA!=KEY) and (ptr.LINK!=NULL)do
ptr->LINK
EndWhile
If(ptr.LINK=NULL)then
Print"KEY is not available in the list"
Exit
Else
new->LINK=ptr->LINK
new->DATA=X
ptr->LINK=new
EndIf
EndIf
Stop

DS - Linked List
Deletion from the front of list
Algortihm DeleteFront_SL
Input- HEADER is the pointer to the header node
Output: A single linked list eliminating the node at the front
Data Structure: A single linked list whose address of the starting node is
known from the header.

DS - Linked List
Deletion from the front of list

DS - Linked List
Deletion from the end of list
Algortihm DeleteEnd_SL
Input: HEADER is the pointer to the header node
Output: A single linked list eliminating the node at the end of list
Data Structure: A single linked list whose address of the starting node is
known from the header.

DS - Linked List
Deletion from the end of list

DS - Linked List
Deletion from any position in the list
Algortihm DeleteAny_SL
Input: HEADER is the pointer to the header node
Output: A single linked list eliminating the node at the end of list
Data Structure: A single linked list whose address of the starting node is
known from the header.

DS - Linked List
Deletion from any position in the list

DS - Linked List
Copying a Single Linked List
Algortihm Copy_SL
Input: HEADER is the pointer to the header node
Output: HEADER1 is the pointer to the duplicate list
Data Structure: Single linked list structure

DS - Linked List
Merging two linked lists into one
Algortihm Merge_SL
Input: HEADER1 and HEADER are the pointers to the header nodes
Output: HEADER is the pointer to the resultant list
Data Structure: Single linked list structure

DS - Linked List
Merging two linked lists into one

ptr = HEADER1
While(ptr->LINK!=NULL)do
ptr=ptr->LINK
EndWhile
ptr->LINK=HEADER2->LINK
ReturnNode(HEADER2)
HEADER=HEADER1
Stop

DS - Linked List
Searching for an element in a Singly Linked List
Algortihm Search_SL
Input: KEY, the item to be searched
Output: LOCATION, the pointer to a node where the KEY belongs to or
an error message
Data Structure: Single linked list structure

DS - Linked List
Circular Linked List
A linked list where the last node points the header node is called the
Circular Linked List.

 In a Circular Linked List, every member node is accessible from any

node by chaining through the list.

DS - Linked List
Searching an element in Circular Linked List
Algortihm Search_CL
Input: KEY, the item to be searched
Output: LOCATION, the pointer to a node where the KEY belongs to or
an error message
Data Structure: A circular linked list

DS - Linked List
Merging of two Circular Linked Lists
Algortihm Merge_CL
Input: HEADER1 and HEADER are the pointers to the header nodes
Output: A large circular linked list containing all the nodes from
HEADER1 and HEADER2
Data Structure: Circular linked list structure

DS - Linked List
Merging of two Circular Linked Lists

DS - Linked List
Double Linked List
 A Doubly Linked List is a two way list as, one can move either from
left to right or from right to left.
 The two-way process is maintained using two link fields instead of one
as in a single linked list.

DS – Linked List
Inserting a node in the front a Doubly Linked List

Algorithm InsertFront_DL

Input: X is the data content of the node to be inserted

Output: A double linked list enriched with a node in the front

containing data X

Data Structure: Double linked list whose pointer to the

header node is HEADER

DS – Linked List
Inserting a node in the front of a Doubly Linked List

DS – Linked List
Inserting a node in a Doubly Linked List

DS – Linked List
Inserting a node at the end of a Doubly Linked List

Algorithm InsertEnd_DL

Input: X is the data content of the node to be inserted

Output: A double linked list enriched with a node at the end containing
data X

Data Structure: Double linked list whose pointer to the header node is
HEADER

DS – Linked List
Inserting a node at the end a Doubly Linked List

DS – Linked List
Inserting a node at any point of a Doubly Linked List

Algorithm InsertAny_DL

Input: X is the data content of the node to be inserted, and KEY the data
content of the node after which the new node is to be inserted.

Output: A double linked list enriched with a node containing data X after
the node with data KEY, if KEY is not present in the list then it is
inserted at the end.

Data Structure: Double linked list whose pointer to the header node is
HEADER

DS – Linked List
Inserting a node at any point of a Doubly Linked List

DS – Linked List
Deleting a node from the front of a Doubly Linked List

Algorithm DeleteFront_DL
Input: A doubly linked list with data
Output: A reduced doubly linked list
Data Structure: Double linked list whose pointer to the header node is
HEADER

DS – Linked List
Deleting a node from the end of a Doubly Linked List

Algorithm DeleteEnd_DL
Input: A doubly linked list with data
Output: A reduced doubly linked list
Data Structure: Double linked list whose pointer to the header node is
HEADER

DS – Linked List
Deleting a node from any position in a Doubly Linked List

Algorithm DeleteAny_DL

Input: X is the data content of the node to be inserted, and KEY the data
content of the node to be deleted.

Output: A double linked list without a node having data content KEY, if
any.

Data Structure: Doubly linked list whose pointer to the header node is
HEADER

DS – Linked List
Deleting a node from any position in a Doubly Linked List

DS – Linked List
Image

DS – Linked List
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