Delete Kth node From End
You have been given a singly Linked List of 'N' nodes with integer data and an integer 'K'. Your task is to remove the Kth node from the end of the given Linked List.

For example:

The given linked list is 1 - 2 - 3 - 4- 'NULL'. and 'K' is 2 After removing the second node from the end, the linked list become 1-2-4-'NULL'

Follow Up:

Can you solve this without finding the length of the linked list and using O(1) extra space?

Input format :

The first line of input contains an integer 'T' representing the number of test cases or queries to be processed. Then the test case follows. The first line of each test case contains a single integer 'K', representing the index(1 based indexing) of a node from the last to be deleted. The second line of each test case contains the elements of the singly linked list separated by a single space and terminated by -1. Hence, -1 would never be a list element.

Output format :

For each test case, print a single line that contains the updated linked list in a linear fashion. A single space will separate all the list data and -1 will indicate the end of the list. Print output of each test case in a separate line.

Note :

You do not need to print anything, it has already been taken care of. Just implement the given function.

Constraints :

1

Question

Delete Kth node From End

You have been given a singly Linked List of 'N' nodes with integer data and an integer 'K'. Your task is to remove the Kth node from the end of the given Linked List.

For example:

The given linked list is 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4-> 'NULL'. and 'K' is 2
After removing the second node from the end, the linked list become 1->2->4->'NULL'

Follow Up:

Can you solve this without finding the length of the linked list and using O(1) extra space?

Input format :

The first line of input contains an integer 'T' representing the number of test cases or queries to be processed. Then the test case follows.

The first line of each test case contains a single integer 'K', representing the index(1 based indexing) of a node from the last to be deleted.

The second line of each test case contains the elements of the singly linked list separated by a single space and terminated by -1. Hence, -1 would never be a list element.

Output format :

For each test case, print a single line that contains the updated linked list in a linear fashion. A single space will separate all the list data and -1 will indicate the end of the list.

Print output of each test case in a separate line.

Note :

You do not need to print anything, it has already been taken care of. Just implement the given function.

Constraints :

1 <= 'T' <= 5
0 <= 'N' <= 10 ^ 5
0 <= 'K' <= 'N'
1 <= 'DATA' <= 10 ^ 9 and 'DATA' != -1

Time Limit: 1 sec.

Accepted Answer

This was actually pretty easy question.
Step 1 - I gave an intuition of the question and how to approach it.
Step2 - I gave basic 2 pass algorithm, then moved to efficient one-pass algorithm

Accepted Answer

Using Lists

The naive solution is to process all the nodes from the front side of the linked list and keep adding a node to the list. Now we can easily remove the Kth node from the end of the list by simply replacing the next pointer of the ('LENGTH' - 'K' - 1)th node (0-based indexing from start) of the list with the ('LENGTH' - 'K' + 1)th node. This way we can remove the Kth node from the end of the linked list.

Space Complexity: O(n)Explanation:

O(N), where N is the number of nodes in a linked list.

In the worst case, we will be storing all nodes of the linked list in a new list.

Time Complexity: O(n)Explanation:

O(N), where N is the number of nodes in the linked list.

In the worst-case, we will be iterating the whole linked list. Hence, the overall complexity will be O(N).

Accepted Answer

By Finding Length of the Linked List

Find the length of Linked List 'L'
Check if 'L' = 'K' then remove the head by assigning head to head’s next node.
Else start iterating through the linked list until it comes to ('L' - 'K' -1 )th(0 based indexing from start) node. We will remove the ('L' - 'K')th node by relinking the next pointer of ('L' - 'K' - 1)th node to the ('L' - 'K' + 1)th node.

Space Complexity: O(1)Explanation:

O(1).

In the worst case, only a constant extra space is required.

Time Complexity: O(n)Explanation:

O(N), where ‘N’ is the number of nodes in the linked list.

In the worst case, we will be traversing the whole linked list. Hence, the overall complexity is O(N).

Accepted Answer

Using Slow and Fast Pointers

We can remove the required node without finding the length of the given linked list by using two pointers 'SLOW' and 'FAST', which are 'K' nodes apart from each other.

Initially, the 'FAST' pointer advances the list by 'K' nodes from the beginning and the 'SLOW' is a pointer to the head of the linked list.
Now both pointers are exactly separated by 'K' distance from each other. We will maintain a constant gap by advancing both pointers together until the 'FAST' pointer reaches the last node.
When the 'FAST' pointer is at the last node then the 'SLOW' pointer will be at ('K' + 1)th node from the end of the linked list.
At last, we will set the next of 'SLOW' pointer to its next of next node.

Space Complexity: O(1)Explanation:

O(1).

In the worst case, only a constant extra space is required.

Time Complexity: O(n)Explanation:

O(N), where ‘N’ is the number of nodes in the linked list.

In the worst case, we will be traversing the whole linked list. Hence, the overall complexity is O(N).

You have been given a singly Linked List of 'N' nodes with integer data and an integer 'K'. Your task is to remove the Kth node from the end of the given Linked List.

For example:

Follow Up:

Input format :

Output format :

Note :

Constraints :

Top Lowe's Software Developer interview questions & answers

Popular interview questions of Software Developer

Top HR questions asked in Lowe's Software Developer