C语言单链表求环，并返回环的起始节点

若链表中存在环，找出其中的环所在的节点，否则，返回NULL

在没有C++ set容器的优势前提下，我们对这样的环型的寻找以及定位可以利用快慢指针来实现。
有环的存在，类似与操场跑圈，必然存在快慢之分。有了快慢，就一定会有交点。反之，有了交点，就一定存在环。

实现过程如下：

1. slow指针移动一次，fast指针移动两次，当fast指针和slow指针相等时保留相等时的节点
2. 根据运算，从相等时的节点和头节点以相同的速度运算，当两者相等时即为环的起始节点

算法实现如下：

Data *get_circle_list(Data *head) {
	Data *fast;
	Data *slow;
	fast  = head;
	slow = head;
	
	Data *meet = NULL;

	/*快速和慢速指针一起移动*/
	while (fast) {
		fast = fast -> next;
		slow = slow -> next;
		if (!fast) {//当快速指针为空时，即不存在环型节点
			return NULL;
		}
		
		//否则快速指针继续移动
		fast = fast -> next;
		if(fast == slow) {
			meet = fast;
			break;
		}
	}
	
	/*如果没有找到相遇的节点，那么即不存在环型*/
	if(meet == NULL) {
		return NULL;
	} else {
		while (!(head == meet)) {
			head = head -> next;
			meet = meet -> next;
		}
		return head;
	}
	return NULL;
}

源代码测试如下:

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>


typedef struct link_list {
	int data;
	struct link_list *next;
}Data;

void print_list(Data *head) {
	while (head) {
		printf("%d ",head->data);
		head = head -> next;
	}
	printf("\n");
}

Data *insert_head(Data *head, int n) {
	head = (Data *)malloc (sizeof(Data));
	head -> next = NULL;
	int data;
	while(n --) {
		Data *p = (Data *)malloc(sizeof(Data));
		scanf("%d",&data);

		p -> data = data;
		p -> next = head -> next;
		head -> next = p;
	}
	return head;
}

Data *insert_tail(Data *head, int n) {
	head = (Data *)malloc(sizeof(Data));
	head -> next = NULL;
	Data *r = head;
	int data;
	while(n--) {
		Data *p = (Data *)malloc(sizeof(Data));
		scanf("%d", &data);

		p -> data = data;
		r -> next = p;
		r = p;
		p -> next = NULL;
	}
	return head;
}

Data *get_circle_list(Data *head) {
	Data *fast;
	Data *slow;
	fast  = head;
	slow = head;
	
	Data *meet = NULL;

	while (fast) {
		fast = fast -> next;
		slow = slow -> next;
		if (!fast) {
			return NULL;
		}

		fast = fast -> next;
		if(fast == slow) {
			meet = fast;
			break;
		}
	}
	
	if(meet == NULL) {
		return NULL;
	} else {
		while (!(head == meet)) {
			head = head -> next;
			meet = meet -> next;
		}
		return head;
	}
}

int main() {
	/*构造环形测试用例*/
	Data a1,a2,a3,a4,a5,a6,a7;
	a1.data = 1;
	a2.data = 2;
	a3.data = 3;
	a4.data = 4;
	a5.data = 5;
	a6.data = 6;
	a7.data = 7;

	a1.next = &a2;
	a2.next = &a3;
	a3.next = &a4;
	a4.next = &a5;
	a5.next = &a6;
	a6.next = &a7;
	/*构造环形，这里很明显环形的起点为5节点*/
	a7.next = &a5;

	printf("get circle node \n");
	Data *result = get_circle_list(&a1);
	printf("get circle node is %d\n",result -> data);
	return 0;
}

输出如下:

get circle node 
get circle node is 5