Book

A Simplified Approach
to
Data Structures
Prof.(Dr.)Vishal Goyal, Professor, Punjabi University Patiala
Dr. Lalit Goyal, Associate Professor, DAV College, Jalandhar
Mr. Pawan Kumar, Assistant Professor, DAV College, Bhatinda

Shroff Publications and Distributors

Edition 2014

Prof.(Dr.) Vishal Goyal,Department of Computer Science, Punjabi University

 CIRCULAR LINKED LIST
AND
DOUBLY LIST

Department of Computer Science, Punjabi University Patiala

 Contents for Today’s Lecture

• Circular Linked list

• Two-Way Linked List
 3.4 Circular Linked List
Linked List: A Linked List refers to a linear collection of data
elements in which linear order is not given by their physical
placement n memory (as in case of array). In linked list, the data
elements are managed by collection of nodes, where each node
contains link or pointer which points to the next node in the list. The
beginning f the linked list is maintained by a special pointer variable
which contains the address of the first node in the list. The link part of
the last node contains a special value called Null which shows the end
of the list.

Begin

Amit Karan Rajesh Naveen Sonia Null

Representation of Data using Linked list

 3.4 Circular Linked List(continued)

A Circular Linked List is a list in which last node points

back to the first node instead of containing the Null pointer
in the next part of the last node. The circular linked list can
be shown diagrammatically

Begin

7 5 10 12 9

A CIRCULAR LINKED LIST

 3.4 Circular Linked List(continued)
All the operations which can be performed on ordinary
singular linked list can easily be performed on circular linked
list with the following changes:
•Looking for the end of the linked list -In the case of one way singular
linked list, the next part of the last node will contain Null address but
in the case of circular linked list, the next part of the last node consist
of address of the first node i.e. Begin. Thus for reaching at the end of
the circular linked list, we will compare the address of the first node
i.e. Begin with address stored in Next part of each node. If both the
addresses come out to be same, then we have reached at the end of the
circular list.

•When a new node is to be inserted at the end of the circular linked

list, it’s next part will contain the address of the first node instead of
null as is in the case of one-way singular linked list.
 3.4.1.Traversal in Circular Linked List

The traversal of circular linked list having list pointer variable

Begin and a pointer variable Pointer to traverse the linked list
from begin to end.

Algorithm : Traverses a circular linked list with pointer

variable ‘Begin’

Step1: If Begin =Null Then

Print: “Circular linked list is empty”
Exit
[End If]

Step2: Process Begin → Info

3.4.1.Traversal in Circular Linked List(continued)

Step3: Set Pointer = Begin → Next

Step4: Repeat steps 5 and 6 while Pointer ≠ Begin

Step5: Process Pointer → Info

Step6: Set Pointer = Pointer→ Next

[End Loop]

Step7: Exit
 3.4.2.Insertion at the Beginning of Circular
Linked List
In this case, the New node is inserted as the first node and the
next part of the last node is changed and now it points to the
newly inserted node as shown below in figure:

Begin

7 5 10 12 9

New

Insertion of a New Node at the Beginning of a Circular

Linked List
3.4.2.Insertion at the Beginning of Circular
Linked List(continued)

Algorithm: Insertion of an element ‘Data’ at the Beginning of

the Circular Linked List

Step1: If Free=Null Then

Print: “No free space available”
Exit
[End If]

Step2: Set New= Free and Free=Free → Next

Step3: Set New →Info=Data

3.4.2.Insertion at the Beginning of Circular
Linked List(continued)
Step4: If Begin=Null Then
Set Begin=New
Set New → Next=Begin
Exit
[End If]

Step5: Set Pointer=Begin

Step6: Repeat while Pointer →Next ≠ Begin

Set Pointer=Pointer → Next
[End Loop]
3.4.2.Insertion at the Beginning of Circular
Linked List(continued)
Step7: Set New → Next=Begin

Step8: Set Begin=New

Step9: Set Pointer → Next=Begin

Step11: Exit
 3.4.3. Insertion at the End of the Circular
Linked List
In the process of inserting an element at the end of the circular linked list,
the address stored in the Next part of the last node and next part of New node
need to be changed as shown below:

Begin

7 5 10 12 9

9
New

Insertion of a Node ‘New’ at the End of the circular linked list

3.4.3. Insertion at the End of the Circular
Linked List(continued)

Algorithm: Insertion of an element ‘Item’ at the end of the

circular linked list

Step1: If Free=Null Then

Print: “No Free space available for Insertion”
Exit
[End If]

Step2: Allocate memory to node New

Set New =Free and Free=Free → Next

Step3: Set New→ Info=Item

3.4.3. Insertion at the End of the Circular
Linked List(continued)
Step4: If Begin=Null Then
Set Begin=New and New → Next=Begin
Exit
[End If]

Step5: Set Pointer=Begin

Step6: Repeat while Pointer → Next ≠ Begin

Set Pointer=Pointer → Next
[End Loop]

Step7: Set Pointer → Next=New and New → Next=Begin

Step8: Exit
 3.4.4. Applications of Circular Linked List

Circular linked list can be used for:

• Implementing a time sharing problem of the operating system:
The operating system must maintain a list of executing processes
and must alternately allow each process to use a slice of CPU
time, one process at a time and there should be no Null Pointer
unless there is no process requesting CPU time.
3.5 Two-Way Linked List (Doubly Linked List)
In Two-Way Linked List, we traverse the list in both the directions i.e.
forward direction (from beginning to end) and in backward direction (from
end to beginning). The Two-Way Linked List is also known as Doubly
Linked List. In Two-Way Linked List, each node is divided into three parts:
Pre, Info, Next. The structure of a node used in Two-Way Linked List is as
shown below:

↑ ↑ ↑
Pre Info Next
Structure of a Node used in a Two-Way Linked List

Pre part contains the address of the preceding node

Info part contains the element
Next part contains the address of the Next node.
 3.5 Two-Way Linked List (Doubly Linked List)
(continued)
Here in Two-Way Linked List, two list Pointer variables i.e. Begin and End
are used which contains the address of the first node and last node of the
Linked List respectively . Two-Way Linked List can be shown
diagrammatically as shown:
Begin End

Null 10 12 8 7 Null

↑ ↑ ↑
Pre Info Next
A Two-Way Linked List

The Pre part of the first node of a Two-Way Linked List will contain Null
as there is no node preceding the first node and the Next part of last node will
contain Null as there is no node following the last node.
 3.5 Two-Way Linked List (Doubly Linked List)
(continued)

Operations performed on Two-Way Linked List:

•Traversing
•Searching
•Insertion
•Deletion
3.5.1.Traversing a Two-Way Linked List

A Two-Way Linked List can be traversed in both the

directions:

•forward direction, the Pointer variable will be assigned with

the address stored in the Begin pointer variable and reach at
node whose Next part contains Null i.e. we reach at the end of
list.
• backward direction, the Pointer variable will be assigned
with the address stored in the End pointer variable and reach at
node whose Pre part contains Null i.e. we reach at the
beginning of the list. The variable Pointer keeps track of the
address of the current node.
3.5.1.Traversing a Two-Way Linked List
(continued)
Algorithm: Traverses a two-way linked list starting
from the end of the list to the beginning
Step1: If End=Null Then
Print: “Linked List is empty”
Exit
[End If]

Step2: Set Pointer=End

Step3: Repeat while Pointer ≠ Null

Process Pointer → Info
Set Pointer=Pointer → Pre
[End Loop]
Step4: Exit
 3.5.2. Searching in a Two-Way Linked List

To find the location of a given linked list:

•traverse the list either from end or beginning

•keep comparing the element stored in each node with the

desired item

•if desired item is found then further traversing is stopped and

address of the node containing the desired element is
returned.
3.5.2. Searching in a Two-Way Linked
List(continued)
Algorithm: To find the position of a given element ‘data’ in a
Two-Way Linked List by traversing it from end to beginning.

Step1: If End=Null Then

Print: “Linked List is empty”
Exit
[End If]

Step2: Set Pointer=End

 3.5.2. Searching in a Two-Way Linked
List(continued)

Step3: Repeat while Pointer ≠ Null

If Pointer → Info=Data Then
Print: “Element Data is found at address”:Pointer
Exit
Else
Set Pointer=Pointer → Pre
[End If]
[End Loop]

Step4: Print: “Element Data is not found in the linked list”

Step5: Exit
3.5.3. Insertion of an element in a Two-
Way Linked List

Insertion can take place at various positions in a linked

list such as:

•at beginning

•at the end or after any particular node in a linked list: It

requires searching the location of the node after which
new node is to be inserted.
 3.5.3.1. Inserting a New node at the
Beginning of a Two-Way Linked List

An element Data is to be inserted at the beginning of the doubly

linked list.
Begin End

Null 10 12 8 7 Null

Null Data
New
Insertion of a node at the Beginning in a Doubly linked List
3.5.3.1. Inserting a New node at the Beginning
of a Two-Way Linked List(continued)
Algorithm: To insert a New node at the Beginning of
a Two-Way Linked List

Step1: If Free=Null Then

Print: “Free space not available”
Exit
[End If]

Step2: Allocate memory to node New

(Set New=Free and Free= Free → Next)

Step3: Set New → Pre=Null and New → Info=Data

3.5.3.1. Inserting a New node at the Beginning
of a Two-Way Linked List(continued)

Step4: If Begin=Null Then

Set New → Next=Null and End=New
Else
Set New → Next=Begin and Begin → Pre=New
[End If]

Step5: Set Begin=New

Step6: Exit
3.5.3.2. Inserting a New node after a particular
node in a Two-Way Linked List
Insertion after a particular node requires finding the location of the
node after which new node is to be inserted. After finding the desired
node, the New node can be inserted easily by changing few pointers
as shown:
Begin End

Null 10 12 8 7 Null
Successor=Pointer → Next
New → Next=Successor
Pointer → Next=New
Item
New → Pre=Pointer
Successor →Pre=New New

Insertion of a node ‘New’ in the Linked List after a particular

element ‘Data’
3.5.3.2. Inserting a New node after a particular
node in a Two-Way Linked List(continued)
Algorithm: insert a New node ‘Item’ after a given
element ‘Data’ in the Two-Way Linked List

Step1: If Free=Null Then

Print: “Free space not available”
Exit
[End If]

Step2: Begin=Null Then

Print: “List is Empty, No insertion will take place”
Exit
[End If]
3.5.3.2. Inserting a New node after a particular
node in a Two-Way Linked List(continued)

Step3: Set Pointer = Begin

Step4: Repeat while Pointer → Next ≠ Null

and Pointer→ Info ≠ Data
Pointer=Pointer → Next
[End Loop]

Step5: If Pointer → Next=Null and Pointer → Info ≠ Data

Print: “Item cannot be inserted as element Data is not present”
Exit
[End If]
3.5.3.2. Inserting a New node after a particular
node in a Two-Way Linked List(continued)

Step6: Allocate memory to node New

(Set New=Free and Free=Free → Next)
Set New → Info=Item

Step7: If Pointer → Next ≠ Null Then

Successor=Pointer → Next
New → Next=Successor
Pointer → Next=New
New → Pre=Pointer
Successor → Pre=New
3.5.3.2. Inserting a New node after a particular
node in a Two-Way Linked List(continued)

Else
New → Next=Null
New → Pre=Pointer
Pointer → Next=New
End=New
[End If]

Step8: Exit
3.5.4. Deleting a node with given Item from
2-Way linked List
For deleting a particular node:

•traverse the list either in forward or backward direction to

locate the node containing the element to be deleted

•if the desired node is found, it can be removed from the linked
list by changing few pointers as shown:

Begin End

Null 5 8 7 9 Null

A Two-Way Linked List with 4 nodes

3.5.4. Deleting a node with given Item from 2-
Way linked List(continued)
•if the desired node is not found and we reach at the end of a
list then an appropriate message is displayed.

CASE1: Suppose we want to delete an element 5, which is

contained in the first node of the list. Deletion will be
performed as shown in the figure below:
Begin End

Null 5 8 7 9 Null

Successor
Begin=Begin → Next
Begin → Pre=Null
Deleting the 1st node of a Two-Way linked List
 3.5.4. Deleting a node with given Item from
2-Way linked List(continued)
CASE2: Suppose we want to delete an element 7, which is
contained in a node that lies between the first and last node of
the list then deletion will be performed as shown in the figure
below:
Begin End

Null 5 8 7 9 Null
Previous Pointer Successor
Previous →
Next=Successor
Successor→
Pre=Previous

Deleting a Node present between the first and the last node of a
Two-Way Linked List
3.5.4. Deleting a node with given Item from
2-Way linked List(continued)

CASE3: Now we will delete an element 9 which is encountered

in the node which is last node of the list as shown:
Begin End

Null 5 8 7 9 Null

Previous →
Next=Null
End=Previous
Deleting the last node from a Two-Way Linked List
3.5.4. Deleting a node with given Item from
2-Way linked List(continued)
Algorithm: Delete a node containing an element ‘Item’ from
a Two-Way Linked List

Step1: If Begin=Null Then

Print: “Linked List is already empty”
Exit
[End If]

Step2: If Begin → Info=Item Then

Pos=Begin
Begin=Begin → Next
Begin → Pre=Null
3.5.4. Deleting a node with given Item
from 2-Way linked List(continued)

//Deallocate memory held by Pos

Pos → Next=Free, Free=Pos
Exit
[End If]

Step3: Set Pointer=Begin → Next

Step4: Repeat while Pointer → Next ≠ Null

and Pointer → Info ≠ Item
Set Pointer=Pointer → Next
[End Loop]
3.5.4. Deleting a node with given Item from
2-Way linked List(continued)
Step5: If Pointer → Next=Null and Pointer → Info ≠ Item
Print: “ Item to be deleted not found”
Exit
[End If]

Step6: If Pointer → Next=Null Then

//last node to be deleted
Set Previous=Pointer → Pre
Set Previous → Next=Null
Set End=Previous