Department of

Computer Science and Engineering

DATA STRUCTURES
Unit 1-Linear structures
Year/Sem : II/III
Subject Code: 1151CS102
Topic : Circular Linked list
Faculty Name : Mrs.S.Vijitha
Date : 13.08.2020
School of Computing
Vel Tech Rangarajan Dr. Sagunthala R&D Institute of
Science and Technology
 Contents

 Linked list - Definition

 Circular linked list
 Circular linked list uses
 Operations of circular linked list
 Types of circular linked list
 Circular singly linked list
 Circular doubly linked list

and Project
Management
(SEPM)

07/09/2021 Department of Computer Science and Engineering

 Linked list - Definition
Definition:

 A linked list is a sequence of data structures, which

are connected together via links.

 Linked List is a sequence of links which contains

items.

 Each link contains a connection to another link.

 Unlike arrays, Management

linked
and Project
list elements are not stored at a
contiguous location;
(SEPM)
the elements are linked using
pointers.
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 Linked list - Definition

and Project
Management
(SEPM)

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 Circular Linked list
Circular Linked list:

 Circular linked list is a linked list where all nodes

are connected to form a circle. There is no NULL at
the end.

 Circular Linked List is a variation of Linked list in

which the first element points to the last element
and the last element points to the first element.

 That means circular linked list is similar to the single

linked list except that the last node points to the first
node in the list.
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 Circular Linked list

and Project
Management
(SEPM)

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 Circular Linked list uses

 To represent arrays that are naturally circular, e.g.

the corners of a polygon, a pool of buffers.

 With a circular list, a pointer to the last node gives

easy access also to first node, by following one link.

 Some problems are circular and a circular data

structure would be more natural when used to

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 Operations of Circular Linked list
In a circular linked list, we perform the following
operations...

1.Insertion
2.Deletion
3.Display

 Before we implement actual operations, first we need

to setup empty list.

 First perform the following steps before implementing

actual operations.
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 Operations of Circular Linked list
Step 1 - Include all the header files which are used in
the program.

Step 2 - Declare all the user defined functions.

Step 3 - Define a Node structure with two

members data and next.

Step 4 - Define a Node pointer 'head' and set it NULL.

Step 5 - Implement the main method by displaying

operations.
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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list

Insertion:

In a circular linked list, the insertion operation can be

performed in three ways. They are as follows.

 Inserting At Beginning of the list

 Inserting At End of the list
 Inserting At Specific location in the list

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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list
Inserting At Beginning of the list:

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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list
Inserting At Beginning of the list:

Step 1 - Create a newNode with given value.

Step 2 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

Step 3 - If it is Empty then,

set head = newNode and newNode→next = head .

Step 4 - If it is Not Empty then, define a Node pointer

'temp' and initialize with 'head'.

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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list
Inserting At Beginning of the list:

Step 5 - Keep moving the 'temp' to its next node until it

reaches to the last node (until 'temp → next == head’).

Step 6 - Set 'newNode → next =head',

'head = newNode' and 'temp → next = head'.

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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list
Inserting At end of the list:

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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list

Inserting At End of the list:

Step 1 - Create a newNode with given value.

Step 2 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL).

Step 3 - If it is Empty then,

set head = newNode and newNode → next = head.

Step 4 - If it is Not Empty then, define a node

pointer temp and initialize with head.
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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list

Inserting At End of the list:

Step 5 - Keep moving the temp to its next node until it

reaches to the last node in the list (until temp →
next == head).

Step 6 - Set temp → next = newNode and newNode →

next = head.

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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list
Inserting At Specific location in the list (After a
Node)

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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list
Inserting At Specific location in the list (After a
Node)

Step 1 - Create a newNode with given value.

Step 2 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

Step 3 - If it is Empty then,

set head = newNode and newNode → next = head.

Step 4 - If it is Not Empty then, define a node

pointer temp and initialize with head.
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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list
Inserting At Specific location in the list (After a
Node)

Step 5 - Keep moving the temp to its next node until it

reaches to the node after which we want to insert the
newNode (until temp1 → data is equal to location, here
location is the node value after which we want to insert
the newNode).

Step 6 - Every time check whether temp is reached to

the last node or not. If it is reached to last node then
display 'Given node is not found in the list!!!
Insertion not possible!!!' and terminate the function.
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 Insertion Operation of Circular Linked list

Otherwise move the temp to next node.

Step 7 - If temp is reached to the exact node after which

we want to insert the newNode then check whether it is
last node (temp → next == head).

Step 8 - If temp is last node then set temp →

next = newNode and newNode → next = head.

Step 8 - If temp is not last node then set newNode →

next = temp → next and temp → next = newNode.
.07/09/2021
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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list

Deletion:

In a circular linked list, the deletion operation can be

performed in three ways. They are as follows.

 Deleting At Beginning of the list

 Deleting At End of the list
 Deleting At Specific location in the list

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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list
Deleting from Beginning of the list:

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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list
Deleting from Beginning of the list:

Step 1 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

Step 2 - If it is Empty then, display 'List is Empty!!!

Deletion is not possible' and terminate the function.

Step 3 - If it is Not Empty then, define two Node

pointers 'temp1' and 'temp2' and initialize both 'temp1'
and 'temp2' with head.

Step 4 - Check whether list is having only one node

(temp1 → next == head)
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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list

Deleting from Beginning of the list:

Step 5 - If it is TRUE then set head = NULL and

delete temp1 (Setting Empty list conditions)

Step 6 - If it is FALSE move the temp1 until it reaches to

the last node. (until temp1 → next == head )

Step 7 - Then set head = temp2 → next, temp1 →

next = head and delete temp2.

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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list
Deleting at the end of the list:

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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list
Deleting at the end of the list:

Step 1 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

Step 2 - If it is Empty then, display 'List is Empty!!!

Deletion is not possible' and terminate the function.

Step 3 - If it is Not Empty then, define two Node

pointers 'temp1' and 'temp2' and initialize 'temp1'
with head.

Step 4 - Check whether list has only one Node (temp1

→ next == head)
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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list
Deleting at the end of the list:

Step 5 - If it is TRUE. Then, set head = NULL and

delete temp1. And terminate from the function.
(Setting Empty list condition)

Step 6 - If it is FALSE. Then, set 'temp2 = temp1 ' and

move temp1 to its next node. Repeat the same
until temp1 reaches to the last node in the list.
(until temp1 → next == head)

Step 7 - Set temp2 → next = head and delete temp1.

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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list

Deleting a Specific Node from the list:

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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list

Deleting a Specific Node from the list:

Step 1 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

Step 2 - If it is Empty then, display 'List is Empty!!!

Deletion is not possible' and terminate the function.

Step 3 - If it is Not Empty then, define two Node

pointers 'temp1' and 'temp2' and initialize 'temp1'
with head.

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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list
Deleting a Specific Node from the list:
Step 4 - Keep moving the temp1 until it reaches to the
exact node to be deleted or to the last node. And every
time set 'temp2 = temp1' before moving the 'temp1' to
its next node.

Step 5 - If it is reached to the last node then

display 'Given node not found in the list! Deletion not
possible!!!'. And terminate the function.

Step 6 - If it is reached to the exact node which we want

to delete, then check whether list is having only one
node (temp1 → next == head)
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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list
Deleting a Specific Node from the list:

Step 7 - If list has only one node and that is the node to
be deleted then set head = NULL and
delete temp1 (free(temp1)).

Step 8 - If list contains multiple nodes then check

whether temp1 is the first node in the list (temp1 ==
head).

Step 9 - If temp1 is the first node then

set temp2 = head and keep moving temp2 to its next
node until temp2 reaches to the last node. Then
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 Deletion Operation of Circular Linked list
Deleting a Specific Node from the list:

set head = head → next, temp2 → next = head and

delete temp1.

Step 10 - If temp1 is not first node then check whether it

is last node in the list (temp1 → next == head).

Step 11 - If temp1 is not first node and not last node

then set temp2 → next = temp1 → next and
delete temp1 (free(temp1)).

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 Display Operation of Circular Linked list
Displaying a circular Linked List:

Step 1 - Check whether list is Empty (head == NULL)

Step 2 - If it is Empty, then display 'List is

Empty!!!' and terminate the function.

Step 3 - If it is Not Empty then, define a Node

pointer 'temp' and initialize with head.

Step 4 - Keep displaying temp → data with an arrow (---

>) until temp reaches to the last node.
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 Display Operation of Circular Linked list
Displaying a circular Linked List:

Step 5 - Finally display temp → data with arrow pointing

to head → data.

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 Types of circular Linked list

Types of circular linked list:

A circular linked list can be a two types:

 Singly circular linked list.

 Doubly circular linked list.

and Project
Management
(SEPM)

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 Singly circular Linked list

Singly circular linked list:

 In a circular Singly linked list, the last node of the list

contains a pointer to the first node of the list.

 We traverse a circular singly linked list until we reach

the same node where we started.

 The circular singly linked list has no beginning and no

ending. There isand no
Projectnull value present in the next part
Management
of any of the nodes.
(SEPM)

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 Implementation
Implementation:

 To implement a circular singly linked list, we take an

external pointer that points to the last node of the list.

 If we have a pointer last pointing to the last node,

then last -> next will point to the first node.

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 Representation

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 Why have we taken pointer that points to last node

 For insertion of node in the beginning we need

traverse the whole list.

 Also, for insertion and the end, the whole list has to
be traversed. If instead of start pointer we take a
pointer to the last node then in both the cases there
won’t be any need to traverse the whole list.

 So insertion in the beginning or at the end takes

constant time irrespective of the length of the list.

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 Insertion in circular singly linked list
Insertion

A node can be added in three ways:

 Insertion at the beginning of the list

 Insertion at the end of the list
 Insertion in between the nodes

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 Insertion in circular singly linked list
Insertion at the beginning of the list:

To Insert a node at the beginning of the list,

1. Create a node, say T.

2. Make T -> next = last -> next.

3. last -> next = T.

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 Insertion in circular singly linked list
Insertion at the beginning of the list:

After insertion,

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 Insertion in circular singly linked list
struct Node *addBegin(struct Node *last, int data)
{
if (last == NULL)
return addToEmpty(last, data);
// Creating a node dynamically.
struct Node *temp
= (struct Node *)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
// Assigning the data.
temp -> data = data;
// Adjusting the links
temp -> next = last -> next;
last -> next = temp;
return last;
}
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 Insertion in circular singly linked list
Insertion at the end of the list:

To Insert a node at the end of the list, follow these

step:

1. Create a node, say T.

2. Make T -> next = last -> next;
3. last -> next = T.
4. last = T.

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 Insertion in circular singly linked list

After inserting

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 Insertion in circular singly Linked list
struct Node *addEnd(struct Node *last, int data)
{
if (last == NULL)
return addToEmpty(last, data);
// Creating a node dynamically.
struct Node *temp =
(struct Node *)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
// Assigning the data.
temp -> data = data;
// Adjusting the links.
temp -> next = last -> next;
last -> next = temp; and Project
last = temp; Management
(SEPM)
return last;
}
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 Insertion in circular singly Linked list
Insertion in between the nodes:

1. Create a node, say T.

2. Search the node after which T need to be insert, say

that node be P.

3. Make T -> next = P -> next;

and Project
Management
4. P -> next = T. (SEPM)

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 Insertion in circular singly Linked list
Suppose 12 need to be insert after node having value
10,

After insertion

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 Circular doubly linked list
Circular Doubly Linked List:

 Circular Doubly Linked List has properties of both

doubly linked list and circular linked list.

 It has two consecutive elements are linked or

connected by previous and next pointer.

 The last node points to first node by next pointer and

also the first node points to last node by previous
and Project
Management
pointer. (SEPM)

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 Circular doubly linked list
Circular Doubly Linked List:

and Project
Management
(SEPM)

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 Insertion in circular doubly linked list
Insertion

A node can be added in three ways:

 Insertion at the beginning of the list

 Insertion at the end of the list
 Insertion in between the nodes

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 Insertion in circular doubly linked list
Insertion at the beginning of the list: 

 To insert a node at the beginning of the list, create a

node(Say T) with data = 5, T next pointer points to
first node of the list.

 T previous pointer points to last node the list, last

node’s next pointer points to this T node.

 First node’s previous pointer also points this T node

and at last don’t forget to shift ‘Start’ pointer to this T
node.
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 Insertion in circular doubly linked list
Insertion at the beginning of the list: 

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 Insertion in circular doubly linked list
void insertBegin(struct Node** start, int value)
{
// Pointer points to last Node
struct Node *last = (*start)->prev;
struct Node* new_node = new Node;
new_node->data = value; // Inserting the data
// setting up previous and next of new node
new_node->next = *start;
new_node->prev = last;
// Update next and previous pointers of start and last.
last->next = (*start)->prev = new_node;
// Update start pointer
*start = new_node;
}
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 Insertion in circular doubly linked list
Insertion at the end of list or in an empty list:

 Empty List (start = NULL): A node(Say N) is

inserted with data = 5, so previous pointer of N points
to N and next pointer of N also points to N.

 But now start pointer points to the first node the list.

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 Insertion in circular doubly linked list

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 Insertion in circular doubly linked list
Insertion in between the nodes of the list:

 To insert a node in between the list, two data values

are required one after which new node will be
inserted and another is the data of the new node.

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 Insertion in circular doubly linked list
Insertion in between the nodes of the list:

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Thank You

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