Top 150 Questions - 2.5

2.5 Given a circular linked list, implement an algorithm which returns node at the beginning of the loop. DEFINITION: Circular linked list: A (corrupt) linked list in which a node’s next pointer points to an earlier node, so as to make a loop in the linked list. EXAMPLE: Input: A -> B -> C -> D -> E -> C [the same C as earlier], Output: C

GetLoopStart1()先找到相遇点，根据龟兔方法，该点一定是在环之内。然后从head开始，对每个节点都遍历一次环，当两个遍历指针相等时即为入口点。

GetLoopStart2()只需要O(N)，根据答案写的。code很简单，但是算法确实想不到，算法证明：http://www.1point3acres.com/bbs/viewthread.php?tid=18162。

package Question2_5;


public class Question2_5
{
	public static void main(String[] args)
	{
		Question2_5 q = new Question2_5();
		
		q.AddToList(1);
		q.AddToList(2);
		q.AddToList(3);
		q.AddToList(4);
		q.AddToList(5);
		q.AddToList(6);
		q.AddToList(7);
		q.AddToList(8);
		Node temp = q.head.next;
		for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
			temp = temp.next;
		q.GetTail().next = temp;
		
		temp = q.GetLoopStart1();
		temp.PrintNode();
		temp = q.GetLoopStart2();
		temp.PrintNode();
	}
	
	
	
	
	
	private Node head;
	
	public Question2_5()
	{
		head = new Node(null, null);
	}
	
	public void AddToList(Integer e)
	{
		Node temp = head;
		while (temp.next != null)
			temp = temp.next;
		temp.next = new Node(e, null);
	}
	
	public Node GetTail()
	{
		Node temp = head;
		while (temp.next != null)
			temp = temp.next;
		return temp;
	}
	
	public Node GetLoopStart1()
	{
		Node temp1 = head.next;
		Node temp2 = head.next;
		
		// loop until temp1 and temp2 met each other
		while (temp2 != null)
		{
			temp1 = temp1.next;
			temp2 = temp2.next.next;
			if (temp1 == temp2)
				break;
		}
		
		// O(N^2) to find the start point
		Node meetPointNode = temp1;
		temp1 = head;
		while (true)
		{
			temp1 = temp1.next;
			temp2 = meetPointNode;
			
			// For each node from the head, run the loop
			do
			{
				if (temp1 == temp2)
					return temp1;
				temp2 = temp2.next;
			} while (temp2 != meetPointNode);
		}
	}

	public Node GetLoopStart2()
	{
		Node temp1 = head.next;
		Node temp2 = head.next;
		
		// loop until temp1 and temp2 met each other
		while (temp2 != null)
		{
			temp1 = temp1.next;
			temp2 = temp2.next.next;
			if (temp1 == temp2)
				break;
		}
		
		temp1 = head.next;
		while (temp1 != temp2)
		{
			temp1 = temp1.next;
			temp2 = temp2.next;
		}
		
		return temp1;
	}
	public void PrintList()
	{
		Node temp = head;
		while (temp.next != null)
		{
			temp = temp.next;
			System.out.println(temp.data + " ");
		}
		System.out.println();
	}
	
	private class Node
	{
		Node(Integer d, Node n)
		{
			data = d;
			next = n;
		}
		
		void PrintNode()
		{
			System.out.println(data);
		}
		
		Integer data;
		Node next;
	}
}