Find the element in a linked list with frequency at least N/3 Last Updated : 15 Jul, 2025 Comments Improve Suggest changes Like Article Like Report Given a linked list of size N consisting of a string as node value, the task is to find the majority string, having frequency greater than [N/3], in the linked list. Note: It is guaranteed that there is only one majority string. Examples: Input: head -> geeks -> geeks -> abcd -> game -> knight -> geeks -> harry. Output: geeks. Explanation: The frequency of geeks string in link list is 3 which is greater than [7/3] i.e 2. Input: head -> hot -> hot -> cold -> hot -> hot Output: hot Explanation: The frequency of hot string in the link list is 4 which is greater than [5/3] i.e 1. Naive Approach: Store the frequency of every string in a Map. Traverse the map and look for the string whose frequency is ? N / 3. Time Complexity: O(N) Auxiliary Space: O(N) Efficient Approach: The idea is based on Moore's Voting algorithm. Find two candidates and check if any of these two candidates is actually a majority element or not. Below is the implementation of the above approach: C++ // C++ program to find an // element with frequency // of at least N / 3 // in a linked list #include <bits/stdc++.h> using namespace std; // Structure of a node // for the linked list struct node { string i; node* next = NULL; }; // Utility function to // create a node struct node* newnode(string s) { struct node* temp = (struct node*) malloc(sizeof(struct node)); temp->i = s; temp->next = NULL; return temp; } // Function to find and return // the element with frequency // of at least N/3 string Majority_in_linklist(node* head) { // Candidates for // being the required // majority element string s = "", t = ""; // Store the frequencies // of the respective candidates int p = 0, q = 0; node* ptr = NULL; // Iterate all nodes while (head != NULL) { if (s.compare(head->i) == 0) { // Increase frequency // of candidate s p = p + 1; } else { if (t.compare(head->i) == 0) { // Increase frequency // of candidate t q = q + 1; } else { if (p == 0) { // Set the new string as // candidate for majority s = head->i; p = 1; } else { if (q == 0) { // Set the new string as // second candidate // for majority t = head->i; q = 1; } else { // Decrease the frequency p = p - 1; q = q - 1; } } } } head = head->next; } head = ptr; p = 0; q = 0; // Check the frequency of two // final selected candidate linklist while (head != NULL) { if (s.compare(head->i) == 0) { // Increase the frequency // of first candidate p = 1; } else { if (t.compare(head->i) == 0) { // Increase the frequency // of second candidate q = 1; } } head = head->next; } // Return the string with // higher frequency if (p > q) { return s; } else { return t; } } // Driver Code int main() { node* ptr = NULL; node* head = newnode("geeks"); head->next = newnode("geeks"); head->next->next = newnode("abcd"); head->next->next->next = newnode("game"); head->next->next->next->next = newnode("game"); head->next->next->next->next->next = newnode("knight"); head->next->next->next->next->next->next = newnode("harry"); head->next->next->next->next->next->next ->next = newnode("geeks"); cout << Majority_in_linklist(head) << endl; return 0; } Java // Java program to find an // element with frequency // of at least N / 3 // in a linked list class GFG{ // Structure of a node // for the linked list static class node { String i; node next = null; }; // Utility function to // create a node static node newnode(String s) { node temp = new node(); temp.i = s; temp.next = null; return temp; } // Function to find and return // the element with frequency // of at least N/3 static String Majority_in_linklist(node head) { // Candidates for // being the required // majority element String s = ""; String t = ""; // Store the frequencies // of the respective candidates int p = 0, q = 0; node ptr = null; // Iterate all nodes while (head != null) { if (s.equals(head.i)) { // Increase frequency // of candidate s p = p + 1; } else { if (t.equals(head.i)) { // Increase frequency // of candidate t q = q + 1; } else { if (p == 0) { // Set the new string as // candidate for majority s = head.i; p = 1; } else { if (q == 0) { // Set the new string as // second candidate // for majority t = head.i; q = 1; } else { // Decrease the frequency p = p - 1; q = q - 1; } } } } head = head.next; } head = ptr; p = 0; q = 0; // Check the frequency of two // final selected candidate linklist while (head != null) { if (s.equals(head.i)) { // Increase the frequency // of first candidate p = 1; } else { if (t.equals(head.i)) { // Increase the frequency // of second candidate q = 1; } } head = head.next; } // Return the String with // higher frequency if (p > q) { return s; } else { return t; } } // Driver Code public static void main(String []arg) { node ptr = null; node head = newnode("geeks"); head.next = newnode("geeks"); head.next.next = newnode("abcd"); head.next.next.next = newnode("game"); head.next.next.next.next = newnode("game"); head.next.next.next.next.next = newnode("knight"); head.next.next.next.next.next.next = newnode("harry"); head.next.next.next.next.next.next.next = newnode("geeks"); System.out.println(Majority_in_linklist(head)); } } // This code is contributed by rutvik_56 Python3 # Python3 program to find an element # with frequency of at least N / 3 # in a linked list # Structure of a node # for the linked list class Node: def __init__(self, s): self.i = s self.next = None # Function to find and return # the element with frequency # of at least N/3 def Majority_in_linklist(head): # Candidates for # being the required # majority element s, t = "", "" # Store the frequencies # of the respective candidates p, q = 0, 0 ptr = None # Iterate all nodes while head != None: if s == head.i: # Increase frequency # of candidate s p = p + 1 else: if t == head.i: # Increase frequency # of candidate t q = q + 1 else: if p == 0: # Set the new string as # candidate for majority s = head.i p = 1 else: if q == 0: # Set the new string as # second candidate # for majority t = head.i q = 1 else: # Decrease the frequency p = p - 1 q = q - 1 head = head.next head = ptr p = 0 q = 0 # Check the frequency of two # final selected candidate linklist while head != None: if s == head.i: # Increase the frequency # of first candidate p = 1 else: if t == head.i: # Increase the frequency # of second candidate q = 1 head = head.next # Return the string with # higher frequency if p > q: return s else: return t # Driver code ptr = None head = Node("geeks") head.next = Node("geeks") head.next.next = Node("abcd") head.next.next.next = Node("game") head.next.next.next.next = Node("game") head.next.next.next.next.next = Node("knight") head.next.next.next.next.next.next = Node("harry") head.next.next.next.next.next.next.next = Node("geeks") print(Majority_in_linklist(head)) # This code is contributed by stutipathak31jan C# // C# program to find an element with // frequency of at least N / 3 in a // linked list using System; using System.Collections; using System.Collections.Generic; class GFG{ // Structure of a node // for the linked list class node { public string i; public node next = null; }; // Utility function to // create a node static node newnode(string s) { node temp = new node(); temp.i = s; temp.next = null; return temp; } // Function to find and return // the element with frequency // of at least N/3 static string Majority_in_linklist(node head) { // Candidates for // being the required // majority element string s = ""; string t = ""; // Store the frequencies // of the respective candidates int p = 0, q = 0; node ptr = null; // Iterate all nodes while (head != null) { if (s.Equals(head.i)) { // Increase frequency // of candidate s p = p + 1; } else { if (t.Equals(head.i)) { // Increase frequency // of candidate t q = q + 1; } else { if (p == 0) { // Set the new string as // candidate for majority s = head.i; p = 1; } else { if (q == 0) { // Set the new string as // second candidate // for majority t = head.i; q = 1; } else { // Decrease the frequency p = p - 1; q = q - 1; } } } } head = head.next; } head = ptr; p = 0; q = 0; // Check the frequency of two // final selected candidate linklist while (head != null) { if (s.Equals(head.i)) { // Increase the frequency // of first candidate p = 1; } else { if (t.Equals(head.i)) { // Increase the frequency // of second candidate q = 1; } } head = head.next; } // Return the string with // higher frequency if (p > q) { return s; } else { return t; } } // Driver Code public static void Main(string []arg) { node head = newnode("geeks"); head.next = newnode("geeks"); head.next.next = newnode("abcd"); head.next.next.next = newnode("game"); head.next.next.next.next = newnode("game"); head.next.next.next.next.next = newnode("knight"); head.next.next.next.next.next.next = newnode("harry"); head.next.next.next.next.next.next.next = newnode("geeks"); Console.Write(Majority_in_linklist(head)); } } // This code is contributed by pratham76 JavaScript <script> // JavaScript program to find an element with // frequency of at least N / 3 in a // linked list // Structure of a node // for the linked list class node { constructor() { this.i = ""; this.next = null; } } // Utility function to // create a node function newnode(s) { var temp = new node(); temp.i = s; temp.next = null; return temp; } // Function to find and return // the element with frequency // of at least N/3 function Majority_in_linklist(head) { // Candidates for // being the required // majority element var s = ""; var t = ""; // Store the frequencies // of the respective candidates var p = 0, q = 0; var ptr = null; // Iterate all nodes while (head != null) { if (s == head.i) { // Increase frequency // of candidate s p = p + 1; } else { if (t == head.i) { // Increase frequency // of candidate t q = q + 1; } else { if (p == 0) { // Set the new string as // candidate for majority s = head.i; p = 1; } else { if (q == 0) { // Set the new string as // second candidate // for majority t = head.i; q = 1; } else { // Decrease the frequency p = p - 1; q = q - 1; } } } } head = head.next; } head = ptr; p = 0; q = 0; // Check the frequency of two // final selected candidate linklist while (head != null) { if (s == head.i) { // Increase the frequency // of first candidate p = 1; } else { if (t == head.i) { // Increase the frequency // of second candidate q = 1; } } head = head.next; } // Return the string with // higher frequency if (p > q) { return s; } else { return t; } } // Driver Code var head = newnode("geeks"); head.next = newnode("geeks"); head.next.next = newnode("abcd"); head.next.next.next = newnode("game"); head.next.next.next.next = newnode("game"); head.next.next.next.next.next = newnode("knight"); head.next.next.next.next.next.next = newnode("harry"); head.next.next.next.next.next.next.next = newnode("geeks"); document.write(Majority_in_linklist(head)); // This code is contributed by rdtank. </script> Output: geeks Time Complexity: O(N) Auxiliary Space: O(1) Comment More infoAdvertise with us Next Article Analysis of Algorithms V vabzcode12 Follow Improve Article Tags : Linked List Mathematical Hash DSA Majority Element Moore's Voting Algorithm interview-preparation frequency-counting +4 More Practice Tags : HashLinked ListMathematical Similar Reads Basics & PrerequisitesLogic Building ProblemsLogic building is about creating clear, step-by-step methods to solve problems using simple rules and principles. 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