Algorithm_Linked List

Sort List Problem

For God’s sake, don’t try sorting a linked list during the interview

So it might be better to actually copy the values into an array and sort them there.

Tip:
Since a node may be inserted before head, we can create a new_head that points to head.

Insertion Sort List:

My version:

ListNode* insertionSortList(ListNode* head) {
    if(head == NULL) return head;
    ListNode* new_head = new ListNode(numeric_limits<int>::min());

    new_head->next = head;
    ListNode* right = head->next;
    head->next = NULL;

    while(right){
        ListNode* rnext = right->next;
        right->next = NULL;
        ListNode* p = new_head;
        while(p){
            if(p->next != NULL && p->next->val > right->val && p->val <= right->val){
                right->next = p->next;
                p->next = right;
                break;
            }
            if(p->next == NULL){
                p->next = right;
                break;
            }
            p = p->next;
        }
        right = rnext;
    }
    head = new_head->next;
    delete(new_head);
    return head;
}

Better version:

ListNode* insertionSortList(ListNode* head) {
    ListNode* new_head = new ListNode(0);
    new_head -> next = head;
    ListNode* pre = new_head;
    ListNode* cur = head;
    while (cur) {
        if (cur -> next && cur -> next -> val < cur -> val) {
            while (pre -> next && pre -> next -> val < cur -> next -> val)
                pre = pre -> next;
            /* Insert cur -> next after pre.*/
            ListNode* temp = pre -> next;
            pre -> next = cur -> next;
            cur -> next = cur -> next -> next;
            pre -> next -> next = temp;
            /* Move pre back to new_head. */
            pre = new_head;
        }
        else cur = cur -> next;
    }
    ListNode* res = new_head -> next;
    delete new_head;
    return res;
}