Linked List

Topics Covered
• Introduction to Linked List
• Insertion in linked list
• Deletion from Linked List
• Circular Linked List
• Doubly Linked List
 Introduction
• A linked list is a data structure which can change
during execution.
– Successive elements are connected by pointers.
– Last element points to NULL.
– It can grow or shrink in size during execution of a
program.
– It can be made just as long as required.
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– It does not waste memory space.

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• Keeping track of a linked list:
– Must know the pointer to the first element of the
list (called start, head, etc.).

• Linked lists provide flexibility in allowing the

items to be rearranged efficiently.
– Insert an element.
– Delete an element.
 Illustration: Insertion
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Item to be
tmp X inserted

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curr
X
Pseudo-code for insertion
typedef struct nd {
struct item data;
struct nd * next;
} node;

void insert(node *curr)

{
node * tmp;

tmp=(node *) malloc(sizeof(node));
tmp->next=curr->next;
curr->next=tmp;
}
 Illustration: Deletion
Item to be deleted

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tmp
curr

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Pseudo-code for deletion
typedef struct nd {
struct item data;
struct nd * next;
} node;

void delete(node *curr)

{
node * tmp;
tmp=curr->next;
curr->next=tmp->next;
free(tmp);
}
 In essence ...
• For insertion:
– A record is created holding the new item.
– The next pointer of the new record is set to link it to
the item which is to follow it in the list.
– The next pointer of the item which is to precede it
must be modified to point to the new item.
• For deletion:
– The next pointer of the item immediately preceding
the one to be deleted is altered, and made to point
to the item following the deleted item.
 Array versus Linked Lists
• Arrays are suitable for:
– Inserting/deleting an element at the end.
– Randomly accessing any element.
– Searching the list for a particular value.
• Linked lists are suitable for:
– Inserting an element.
– Deleting an element.
– Applications where sequential access is required.
– In situations where the number of elements cannot
be predicted beforehand.
 Types of Lists
• Depending on the way in which the links are
used to maintain adjacency, several different
types of linked lists are possible.

– Linear singly-linked list (or simply linear list)

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• One we have discussed so far.

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 – Circular linked list
• The pointer from the last element in the list points back
to the first element.
head

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 – Doubly linked list
• Pointers exist between adjacent nodes in both
directions.
• The list can be traversed either forward or backward.
• Usually two pointers are maintained to keep track of
the list, head and tail.
head tail

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