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Select a Random Node from a Singly Linked List

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025
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Given a singly linked list, select a random node from the linked list (the probability of picking a node should be 1/N if there are N nodes in the list). You are given a random number generator.
Below is a Simple Solution 

  1. Count the number of nodes by traversing the list. 
  2. Traverse the list again and select every node with a probability of 1/N. The selection can be done by generating a random number from 0 to N-i for the node, and selecting the i'th node only if the generated number is equal to 0 (or any other fixed number from 0 to N-i). 

We get uniform probabilities with the above schemes. 

i = 1, probability of selecting first node = 1/N
i = 2, probability of selecting second node =
                   [probability that first node is not selected] * 
                   [probability that second node is selected]
                  = ((N-1)/N)* 1/(N-1)
                  = 1/N

Similarly, the probability of other selecting other nodes is 1/N
The above solution requires two traversals of the linked list. 

How to select a random node with only one traversal allowed? 
The idea is to use Reservoir Sampling. Following are the steps. This is a simpler version of Reservoir Sampling as we need to select only one key instead of the k keys. 

(1) Initialize result as first node
   result = head->key 
(2) Initialize n = 2
(3) Now one by one consider all nodes from 2nd node onward.
    (3.a) Generate a random number from 0 to n-1. 
         Let the generated random number is j.
    (3.b) If j is equal to 0 (we could choose other fixed number 
          between 0 to n-1), then replace result with current node.
    (3.c) n = n+1
    (3.d) current = current->next

Below is the implementation of the above algorithm. 

C++ 
/* C++ program to randomly select a node from a singly
linked list */
#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>
#include<iostream>
using namespace std;

/* Link list node */
class Node
{
    public:
    int key;
    Node* next;
    void printRandom(Node*);
    void push(Node**, int);
    
};

// A reservoir sampling based function to print a
// random node from a linked list
void Node::printRandom(Node *head)
{
    // IF list is empty
    if (head == NULL)
    return;

    // Use a different seed value so that we don't get
    // same result each time we run this program
    srand(time(NULL));

    // Initialize result as first node
    int result = head->key;

    // Iterate from the (k+1)th element to nth element
    Node *current = head;
    int n;
    for (n = 2; current != NULL; n++)
    {
        // change result with probability 1/n
        if (rand() % n == 0)
        result = current->key;

        // Move to next node
        current = current->next;
    }

    cout<<"Randomly selected key is \n"<< result;
}

/* BELOW FUNCTIONS ARE JUST UTILITY TO TEST */

/* A utility function to create a new node */
Node* newNode(int new_key)
{
    // allocate node 
    Node* new_node = (Node*) malloc(sizeof( Node));

    /// put in the key 
    new_node->key = new_key;
    new_node->next = NULL;

    return new_node;
}

/* A utility function to insert a node at the beginning
of linked list */
void Node:: push(Node** head_ref, int new_key)
{
    /* allocate node */
    Node* new_node = new Node;

    /* put in the key */
    new_node->key = new_key;

    /* link the old list of the new node */
    new_node->next = (*head_ref);

    /* move the head to point to the new node */
    (*head_ref) = new_node;
}

// Driver program to test above functions
int main()
{
    Node n1;
    Node *head = NULL;
    n1.push(&head, 5);
    n1.push(&head, 20);
    n1.push(&head, 4);
    n1.push(&head, 3);
    n1.push(&head, 30);

    n1.printRandom(head);

    return 0;
}

// This code is contributed by SoumikMondal
C 
/* C program to randomly select a node from a singly
   linked list */
#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdlib.h>
#include <time.h>

/* Link list node */
struct Node
{
    int key;
    struct Node* next;
};

// A reservoir sampling based function to print a
// random node from a linked list
void printRandom(struct Node *head)
{
    // IF list is empty
    if (head == NULL)
       return;

    // Use a different seed value so that we don't get
    // same result each time we run this program
    srand(time(NULL));

    // Initialize result as first node
    int result = head->key;

    // Iterate from the (k+1)th element to nth element
    struct Node *current = head;
    int n;
    for (n=2; current!=NULL; n++)
    {
        // change result with probability 1/n
        if (rand() % n == 0)
           result = current->key;

        // Move to next node
        current = current->next;
    }

    printf("Randomly selected key is %d\n", result);
}

/* BELOW FUNCTIONS ARE JUST UTILITY TO TEST  */

/* A utility function to create a new node */
struct Node *newNode(int new_key)
{
    /* allocate node */
    struct Node* new_node =
        (struct Node*) malloc(sizeof(struct Node));

    /* put in the key  */
    new_node->key  = new_key;
    new_node->next =  NULL;

    return new_node;
}


/* A utility function to insert a node at the beginning
  of linked list */
void push(struct Node** head_ref, int new_key)
{
    /* allocate node */
    struct Node* new_node = new Node;

    /* put in the key  */
    new_node->key  = new_key;

    /* link the old list of the new node */
    new_node->next = (*head_ref);

    /* move the head to point to the new node */
    (*head_ref)    = new_node;
}


// Driver program to test above functions
int main()
{
    struct Node *head = NULL;
    push(&head, 5);
    push(&head, 20);
    push(&head, 4);
    push(&head, 3);
    push(&head, 30);

    printRandom(head);

    return 0;
}
Java 
// Java program to select a random node from singly linked list

import java.util.*;

// Linked List Class
class LinkedList {

    static Node head;  // head of list

    /* Node Class */
    static class Node {

        int data;
        Node next;

        // Constructor to create a new node
        Node(int d) {
            data = d;
            next = null;
        }
    }

    // A reservoir sampling based function to print a
    // random node from a linked list
    void printrandom(Node node) {

        // If list is empty
        if (node == null) {
            return;
        }

        // Use a different seed value so that we don't get
        // same result each time we run this program
        Math.abs(UUID.randomUUID().getMostSignificantBits());

        // Initialize result as first node
        int result = node.data;

        // Iterate from the (k+1)th element to nth element
        Node current = node;
        int n;
        for (n = 2; current != null; n++) {

            // change result with probability 1/n
            if (Math.random() % n == 0) {
                result = current.data;
            }

            // Move to next node
            current = current.next;
        }

        System.out.println("Randomly selected key is " + result);
    }

    // Driver program to test above functions
    public static void main(String[] args) {

        LinkedList list = new LinkedList();
        list.head = new Node(5);
        list.head.next = new Node(20);
        list.head.next.next = new Node(4);
        list.head.next.next.next = new Node(3);
        list.head.next.next.next.next = new Node(30);

        list.printrandom(head);

    }
}

// This code has been contributed by Mayank Jaiswal
Python3 
# Python program to randomly select a node from singly
# linked list 

import random

# Node class 
class Node:

    # Constructor to initialize the node object
    def __init__(self, data):
        self.data= data
        self.next = None

class LinkedList:

    # Function to initialize head
    def __init__(self):
        self.head = None

    # A reservoir sampling based function to print a
    # random node from a linked list
    def printRandom(self):

        # If list is empty 
        if self.head is None:
            return
        if self.head and not self.head.next:
           print("Randomly selected key is %d" %(self.head.data))

        # Use a different seed value so that we don't get 
        # same result each time we run this program
        random.seed()

        # Initialize result as first node
        result = self.head.data

        # Iterate from the (k+1)th element nth element
        # because we iterate from (k+1)th element, or 
        # the first node will be picked more easily 
        current = self.head.next 
        n = 2 
        while(current is not None):
            
            # change result with probability 1/n
            if (random.randrange(n) == 0 ):
                result = current.data 

            # Move to next node
            current = current.next
            n += 1

        print("Randomly selected key is %d" %(result))
        
    # Function to insert a new node at the beginning
    def push(self, new_data):
        new_node = Node(new_data)
        new_node.next = self.head
        self.head = new_node

    # Utility function to print the LinkedList
    def printList(self):
        temp = self.head
        while(temp):
            print(temp.data,end=" ")
            temp = temp.next


# Driver program to test above function
llist = LinkedList()
llist.push(5)
llist.push(20)
llist.push(4)
llist.push(3)
llist.push(30)
llist.printRandom()

# This code is contributed by Nikhil Kumar Singh(nickzuck_007)
C# 
// C# program to select a random node 
// from singly linked list
using System;
    
// Linked List Class
public class LinkedList 
{
    Node head; // head of list

    /* Node Class */
    public class Node
    {
        public int data;
        public Node next;

        // Constructor to create a new node
        public Node(int d) 
        {
            data = d;
            next = null;
        }
    }

    // A reservoir sampling based function to print a
    // random node from a linked list
    void printrandom(Node node) 
    {

        // If list is empty
        if (node == null) 
        {
            return;
        }

        // Use a different seed value so that we don't get
        // same result each time we run this program
        //Math.abs(UUID.randomUUID().getMostSignificantBits());

        // Initialize result as first node
        int result = node.data;

        // Iterate from the (k+1)th element to nth element
        Node current = node;
        int n;
        for (n = 2; current != null; n++) 
        {

            // change result with probability 1/n
            if (new Random().Next() % n == 0) 
            {
                result = current.data;
            }

            // Move to next node
            current = current.next;
        }

        Console.WriteLine("Randomly selected key is " + 
                                               result);
    }

    // Driver Code
    public static void Main(String[] args)
    {
        LinkedList list = new LinkedList();
        list.head = new Node(5);
        list.head.next = new Node(20);
        list.head.next.next = new Node(4);
        list.head.next.next.next = new Node(3);
        list.head.next.next.next.next = new Node(30);

        list.printrandom(list.head);
    }
}

// This code is contributed by 29AjayKumar
JavaScript 
<script>

// Javascript program to select a random node 
// from singly linked list

 /* Node Class */
class Node
{
    constructor(d)
    {
        this.data=d;
        this.next = null;
    }
}

 // A reservoir sampling based function to print a
    // random node from a linked list
function printrandom(node)
{
    // If list is empty
        if (node == null) {
            return;
        }
  
        // Use a different seed value so that we don't get
        // same result each time we run this program
        //Math.abs(UUID.randomUUID().getMostSignificantBits());
  
        // Initialize result as first node
        let result = node.data;
  
        // Iterate from the (k+1)th element to nth element
        let current = node;
        let n;
        for (n = 2; current != null; n++) {
  
            // change result with probability 1/n
            if (Math.floor(Math.random()*n) == 0) {
                result = current.data;
            }
  
            // Move to next node
            current = current.next;
        }
  
        document.write("Randomly selected key is <br>" +
        result+"<br>");
}

// Driver program to test above functions
head = new Node(5);
head.next = new Node(20);
head.next.next = new Node(4);
head.next.next.next = new Node(3);
head.next.next.next.next = new Node(30);

printrandom(head);

// This code is contributed by rag2127

</script>

Output
Randomly selected key is 
4

Time Complexity: O(n), as we are using a loop to traverse n times. Where n is the number of nodes in the linked list.
Auxiliary Space: O(1), as we are not using any extra space.

Note that the above program is based on the outcome of a random function and may produce different outputs.

How does this work? 
Let there be total N nodes in the list. It is easier to understand from the last node.
The probability that the last node is result simply 1/N [For the last or N'th node, we generate a random number between 0 to N-1 and make the last node as the result if the generated number is 0 (or any other fixed number]
The probability that the second last node is the result should also be 1/N. 

The probability that the second last node is result 
          = [Probability that the second last node replaces result] X 
            [Probability that the last node doesn't replace the result] 
          = [1 / (N-1)] * [(N-1)/N]
          = 1/N

Similarly, we can show the probability for 3rd last node and other nodes.

Another approach Using rand() Function:

Here in this Approach, we convert linked list to vector by storing every node value and than we apply rand() function on them and return the random node value.

Approach/Intuition:

   here given linked list :

  •    5 -> 20 -> 4 -> 3 -> 30.
  •    we traverse over linked list and convert it into vector.
  •    vector<int>v{5,20,4,3,30};
  •    than we use rand() function.
  •    int n=v.size() //size of the vector.
  •    int RandomIndex=rand() % n;
  •    and at the end we will return random node value from singly linked list.

Below is the code to implement the above approach:

C++ 
/* C++ program to randomly select a node from a singly
linked list */

#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;

/* Link list node */
class Node {
public:
    int key;
    Node* next;
    void printRandom(Node*);
    void push(Node**, int);
};

Node* newNode(int new_key)
{
    // allocate node
    Node* new_node = (Node*)malloc(sizeof(Node));

    /// put in the key
    new_node->key = new_key;
    new_node->next = NULL;

    return new_node;
}

/* A utility function to insert a node at the beginning
of linked list */
void Node::push(Node** head_ref, int new_key)
{
    /* allocate node */
    Node* new_node = new Node;

    /* put in the key */
    new_node->key = new_key;

    /* link the old list of the new node */
    new_node->next = (*head_ref);

    /* move the head to point to the new node */
    (*head_ref) = new_node;
}

void printRandom(Node* head)
{
    Node* temp = head;
    vector<int> v;
    while (temp != NULL) {
        v.push_back(temp->key);
        temp = temp->next;
    }
    int n = v.size();
    int randIndex = rand() % n;
    cout << v[randIndex] << endl;
}

// Driver's code
int main()
{
    Node n1;
    Node* head = NULL;
    n1.push(&head, 5);
    n1.push(&head, 20);
    n1.push(&head, 4);
    n1.push(&head, 3);
    n1.push(&head, 30);
    // function call
    printRandom(head);
    // code & approach contributed by Sanket Gode.
    return 0;
}
Java 
/*package whatever //do not write package name here */
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;
// Node of Linkedlist
class Node {
    int key;
    Node next;
    Node(int key)
    {
        this.key = key;
        this.next = null;
    }
}
class GFG {
    // Function to Print Random Values
    public static void printRandom(Node head)
    {
        Node temp = head;
        ArrayList<Integer> list = new ArrayList<Integer>();
        while (temp != null) {
            list.add(temp.key);
            temp = temp.next;
        }
        int n = list.size();
        Random rand = new Random();
        int randIndex = rand.nextInt(n);
        System.out.println(list.get(randIndex));
    }
    // Drivers Code
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        // Making List
        Node head = new Node(30);
        head.next = new Node(3);
        head.next.next = new Node(4);
        head.next.next.next = new Node(20);
        head.next.next.next.next = new Node(5);
        // Calling Function
        printRandom(head);
        // This Code is Contributed By Vikas Bishnoi
    }
}
Python3 
import random

# Link list node
class Node:
    def __init__(self):
        self.key = 0
        self.next = None

    def push(self, head_ref, new_key):
        # allocate node
        new_node = Node()

        # put in the key
        new_node.key = new_key

        # link the old list of the new node
        new_node.next = head_ref

        # move the head to point to the new node
        head_ref = new_node
        return head_ref

    @staticmethod
    def printRandom(head):
        temp = head
        v = []
        while temp != None:
            v.append(temp.key)
            temp = temp.next
        n = len(v)
        randIndex = random.randint(0, n-1)
        print(v[randIndex])

# Driver's code
if __name__ == '__main__':
    n1 = Node()
    head = None
    head = n1.push(head, 5)
    head = n1.push(head, 20)
    head = n1.push(head, 4)
    head = n1.push(head, 3)
    head = n1.push(head, 30)
    # function call
    Node.printRandom(head)
C# 
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

// Node of Linkedlist
public class Node {
    public int key;
    public Node next;
    public Node(int key)
    {
        this.key = key;
        this.next = null;
    }
}

public class GFG {
    // Function to Print Random Values
    public static void printRandom(Node head)
    {
        Node temp = head;
        List<int> list = new List<int>();
        while (temp != null) {
            list.Add(temp.key);
            temp = temp.next;
        }
        int n = list.Count;
        Random rand = new Random();
        int randIndex = rand.Next(n);
        Console.WriteLine(list[randIndex]);
    }

    // Drivers Code
    public static void Main()
    {
        // Making List
        Node head = new Node(30);
        head.next = new Node(3);
        head.next.next = new Node(4);
        head.next.next.next = new Node(20);
        head.next.next.next.next = new Node(5);

        // Calling Function
        printRandom(head);
    }
}
JavaScript 
// import random
const val = 7;

// Link list node
class Node{
  
    constructor(){
        this.key = 0;
        this.next = null;
    }


    push(head_ref, new_key){
        // allocate node
        let new_node = new Node();

        // put in the key
        new_node.key = new_key;

        // link the old list of the new node
        new_node.next = head_ref;

        // move the head to point to the new node
        head_ref = new_node;
        return head_ref;
    }


    printRandom(head){
        let temp = head;
        let v = [];
        while(temp != null){
            v.push(temp.key);
            temp = temp.key;
        }

        let n = v.length;
        
        let randIndex = Math.floor((Math.random() * (n-1)));
        console.log(Math.floor(v[randIndex]/val));   
    }

}


// Driver's code
n1 = new Node()
head = null
head = n1.push(head, 5)
head = n1.push(head, 20)
head = n1.push(head, 4)
head = n1.push(head, 3)
head = n1.push(head, 30)
// function call
n1.printRandom(head)

// The code is contributed by Nidhi goel.

Output
20

Complexity Analysis:
Time Complexity: O(n).
Space Complexity:O(n).


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