Insertion Sort for Singly Linked List

Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025

Given a singly linked list, the task is to sort the list (in ascending order) using the insertion sort algorithm.

Examples:

Input: 5->4->1->3->2
Output: 1->2->3->4->5

Input: 4->3->2->1
Output: 1->2->3->4

The prerequisite is Insertion Sort on Array. The idea is to gradually build a sorted portion of the list within the same memory space as the original list.

Step-by-step approach:

Start with an initially empty "sorted" list, which will be built by rearranging nodes from the original list.
Traverse the original linked list one node at a time.
- For each node, find its correct position within the "sorted" portion of the list.
- If the node should be placed at the beginning (i.e., it's smaller than the first node in the sorted list), it becomes the new head of the sorted list.
- Otherwise, traverse the sorted list to find the correct position and insert the node there.
Continue this process until all nodes from the original list have been repositioned in the sorted order
Return the head of sorted list.

Below is the implementation of the above approach

C++

// C++ program to sort linked list
// using insertion sort
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

class Node {
  	public:
    	int val;
    	struct Node* next;
    	Node(int x) {
        	val = x;
        	next = NULL;
    	}
};

// Function to insert a new_node in 
// the result list.
Node* sortedInsert(Node* newnode, Node* sorted) {
    
    // Special case for the head end
    if (sorted == NULL || 
        sorted->val >= newnode->val) {
        newnode->next = sorted;
        sorted = newnode;
    }
    else {
        Node* curr = sorted;
        
        // Locate the node before the point
      	// of insertion
        while (curr->next != NULL && 
               curr->next->val < newnode->val) {
            curr = curr->next;
        }
        newnode->next = curr->next;
        curr->next = newnode;
    }
    
    return sorted;
}

Node* insertionSort(Node* head) {
    
    // Initialize sorted linked list
    Node* sorted = NULL;
    Node* curr = head;
    
    // Traverse the given linked list and insert 
    // every node to sorted
    while (curr != NULL) {
        
        // Store next for next iteration
        Node* next = curr->next;
        
        // Insert current in sorted linked list
        sorted = sortedInsert(curr, sorted);
        
        // Update current
        curr = next;
    }
    
    return sorted;
}

void printList(Node* curr) {
    while (curr != NULL) {
        cout << " " << curr->val;
        curr = curr->next;
    }
}

int main() {
    
    // Create a hard-coded linked list:
    // 5->4->1->3->2
    Node* head = new Node(5);
    head->next = new Node(4);
    head->next->next = new Node(1);
    head->next->next->next = new Node(3);
    head->next->next->next->next = new Node(2);

    head = insertionSort(head);

    printList(head);

    return 0;
}

// C program to sort linked list using insertion sort
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

struct Node {
    int val;
    struct Node* next;
};

// Function to insert a new_node in the result list.
struct Node* sortedInsert(struct Node* createNode, 
                          struct Node* sorted) {
    
    // Special case for the head end
    if (sorted == NULL || 
        sorted->val >= createNode->val) {
        createNode->next = sorted;
        sorted = createNode;
    }
    else {
        struct Node* curr = sorted;
        
        // Locate the node before the point of insertion
        while (curr->next != NULL && 
               curr->next->val < createNode->val) {
            curr = curr->next;
        }
        createNode->next = curr->next;
        curr->next = createNode;
    }
    
    return sorted;
}

struct Node* insertionSort(struct Node* head) {
    
    // Initialize sorted linked list
    struct Node* sorted = NULL;
    struct Node* curr = head;
    
    // Traverse the given linked list and insert
    // every node to sorted
    while (curr != NULL) {
        
        // Store next for next iteration
        struct Node* next = curr->next;
        
        // Insert current in sorted linked list
        sorted = sortedInsert(curr, sorted);
        
        // Update current
        curr = next;
    }
    
    return sorted;
}

void printList(struct Node* curr) {
    while (curr != NULL) {
        printf(" %d", curr->val);
        curr = curr->next;
    }
}

struct Node* createNode(int x) {
    struct Node* node = 
     (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
    node->val = x;
    node->next = NULL;
    return node;
}

int main() {
    
    // Create a hard-coded linked list:
    // 5->4->1->3->2
    struct Node* head = createNode(5);
    head->next = createNode(4);
    head->next->next = createNode(1);
    head->next->next->next = createNode(3);
    head->next->next->next->next = createNode(2);

    head = insertionSort(head);

    printList(head);

    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program to sort linked list
// using insertion sort

class Node {
    int val;
    Node next;

    Node(int x) {
        val = x;
        next = null;
    }
}

public class GfG {

    // Function to insert a new_node in
  	// the result list.
    static Node sortedInsert(Node newnode, 
                             Node sorted) {
        
        // Special case for the head end
        if (sorted == null || 
            sorted.val >= newnode.val) {
            newnode.next = sorted;
            sorted = newnode;
        } else {
            Node curr = sorted;
            
            // Locate the node before the 
          	// point of insertion
            while (curr.next != null && 
                   curr.next.val < newnode.val) {
                curr = curr.next;
            }
            newnode.next = curr.next;
            curr.next = newnode;
        }
        return sorted;
    }

    static Node insertionSort(Node head) {
        
        // Initialize sorted linked list
        Node sorted = null;
        Node curr = head;

        // Traverse the given linked list and 
      	// insert every node to sorted
        while (curr != null) {
            
            // Store next for next iteration
            Node next = curr.next;
            
            // Insert current in sorted linked list
            sorted = sortedInsert(curr, sorted);
            
            // Update current
            curr = next;
        }
        return sorted;
    }

    static void printList(Node curr) {
        while (curr != null) {
            System.out.print(" " + curr.val);
            curr = curr.next;
        }
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        
        // Create a hard-coded linked list:
        // 5->4->1->3->2
        Node head = new Node(5);
        head.next = new Node(4);
        head.next.next = new Node(1);
        head.next.next.next = new Node(3);
        head.next.next.next.next = new Node(2);

        head = insertionSort(head);

        printList(head);
    }
}

Python

# Python program to sort linked list
# using insertion sort

class Node:
    def __init__(self, x):
        self.val = x
        self.next = None

def sorted_insert(newnode, sorted_head):
  
    # Special case for the head end
    if sorted_head is None or sorted_head.val >= newnode.val:
        newnode.next = sorted_head
        return newnode
    else:
        curr = sorted_head
        
        # Locate the node before the point of insertion
        while curr.next is not None and curr.next.val < newnode.val:
            curr = curr.next
        newnode.next = curr.next
        curr.next = newnode
        return sorted_head

def insertion_sort(head):
  
    # Initialize sorted linked list
    sorted_head = None
    curr = head
    
    # Traverse the given linked list and 
    # insert every node to sorted
    while curr is not None:
        next_node = curr.next
        
        # Insert current node in sorted linked list
        sorted_head = sorted_insert(curr, sorted_head)
        
        # Update current
        curr = next_node
    return sorted_head

def print_list(curr):
    while curr is not None:
        print(f" {curr.val}", end="")
        curr = curr.next
    print()

if __name__ == "__main__":
  
    # Create a hard-coded linked list:
    # 5->4->1->3->2
    head = Node(5)
    head.next = Node(4)
    head.next.next = Node(1)
    head.next.next.next = Node(3)
    head.next.next.next.next = Node(2)

    head = insertion_sort(head)

    print_list(head)

// C# program to sort linked list
// using insertion sort

using System;

class Node {
    public int Val;
    public Node Next;

    public Node(int x) {
        Val = x;
        Next = null;
    }
}

class GfG {
    
    // Function to insert a new node in 
  	// the result list.
    static Node SortedInsert(Node newNode, 
                             Node sorted) {
        
        // Special case for the head end
        if (sorted == null || 
            sorted.Val >= newNode.Val) {
            newNode.Next = sorted;
            sorted = newNode;
        }
        else {
            Node curr = sorted;

            // Locate the node before the 
          	// point of insertion
            while (curr.Next != null && 
                   curr.Next.Val < newNode.Val) {
                curr = curr.Next;
            }
            newNode.Next = curr.Next;
            curr.Next = newNode;
        }

        return sorted;
    }

    static Node InsertionSort(Node head) {
      
        // Initialize sorted linked list
        Node sorted = null;
        Node curr = head;

        // Traverse the given linked list and 
      	// insert every node to sorted
        while (curr != null) {
            // Store next for next iteration
            Node next = curr.Next;

            // Insert current in sorted linked list
            sorted = SortedInsert(curr, sorted);

            // Update current
            curr = next;
        }

        return sorted;
    }

    static void PrintList(Node curr) {
        while (curr != null) {
            Console.Write(" " + curr.Val);
            curr = curr.Next;
        }
        Console.WriteLine();
    }

    static void Main() {
        
        // Create a hard-coded linked list:
        // 5->4->1->3->2
        Node head = new Node(5);
        head.Next = new Node(4);
        head.Next.Next = new Node(1);
        head.Next.Next.Next = new Node(3);
        head.Next.Next.Next.Next = new Node(2);
      
        head = InsertionSort(head);

        PrintList(head);
    }
}

JavaScript

// JavaScript program to sort linked list
// using insertion sort

class Node {
    constructor(val) {
        this.val = val;
        this.next = null;
    }
}

// Function to insert a new_node in 
// the result list.
function sortedInsert(newnode, sorted) {
    
    // Special case for the head end
    if (sorted === null || 
    sorted.val >= newnode.val) {
        newnode.next = sorted;
        sorted = newnode;
    } 
    else {
        let curr = sorted;

        // Locate the node before 
        // the point of insertion
        while (curr.next !== null && 
        curr.next.val < newnode.val) {
            curr = curr.next;
        }

        newnode.next = curr.next;
        curr.next = newnode;
    }

    return sorted;
}

function insertionSort(head) {
    
    // Initialize sorted linked list
    let sorted = null;
    let curr = head;

    // Traverse the given linked list 
    // and insert every node to sorted
    while (curr !== null) {
        
        // Store next for next iteration
        let next = curr.next;

        // Insert current in sorted linked list
        sorted = sortedInsert(curr, sorted);

        // Update current
        curr = next;
    }

    return sorted;
}

function printList(curr) {
    while (curr !== null) {
        console.log(" " + curr.val);
        curr = curr.next;
    }
    console.log();
}

// Create a hard-coded linked list:
// 5->4->1->3->2
let head = new Node(5);
head.next = new Node(4);
head.next.next = new Node(1);
head.next.next.next = new Node(3);
head.next.next.next.next = new Node(2);

head = insertionSort(head);

printList(head);

Output

 1 2 3 4 5

Time Complexity: O(n²), In the worst case, we might have to traverse all nodes of the sorted list for inserting a node.
Auxiliary Space: O(1), No extra space is required

kartik

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