LeetCode - 141/142 - Linked List Cycle

141. Linked List Cycle

Given a linked list, determine if it has a cycle in it.

Follow up:
Can you solve it without using extra space?

判断链表是否成环。设定两个指针，一个每次走一步，一个每次走两步，如果都不为空且相等了，就说明成环了。因为如果成环，必然存在走得快的指针追上走得慢的指针的情况。时间复杂度O(n)，空间复杂度O(1)

/**
 * Definition for singly-linked list.
 * struct ListNode {
 *     int val;
 *     ListNode *next;
 *     ListNode(int x) : val(x), next(NULL) {}
 * };
 */
class Solution {
public:
    bool hasCycle(ListNode *head) {
        ListNode* cur = head;
        bool flag = false;
        while (head && cur) {
            head = head->next;
            cur = cur->next;
            if (!cur) break;
            cur = cur->next;
            if (head == cur) {
                flag = true;
                break;
            }
        }
        if (flag) return true;
        return false;
    }
};

142. Linked List Cycle II

Given a linked list, return the node where the cycle begins. If there is no cycle, return null.

Note: Do not modify the linked list.

Follow up:
Can you solve it without using extra space?

这题值得好好写写题解。

首先，我们判断是否成环，采用上一题的思路，设置两个指针，slow和fast，当相遇时成环。此时假设链表环上节点数为r，相遇位置为k，则slow走了k步fast走了2k步。2k - k = nr，可得k = nr。然后，设链表开始结点与环开始结点的距离为s，设环开始结点到k之间的距离为m，则存在s = k - m，即 s = nr - m = (n - 1)r + (r - m)，取n = 1，可得s = r - m。

所以，我们再设置一个指针ans指向链表的开头，与slow指针同时前进，每次一步。当slow指针走完那圈剩下的结点时，ans指针恰好走了s步，与slow指针相遇，此时的位置便是环开始的结点的位置。

/**
 * Definition for singly-linked list.
 * struct ListNode {
 *     int val;
 *     ListNode *next;
 *     ListNode(int x) : val(x), next(NULL) {}
 * };
 */
class Solution {
public:
    ListNode *detectCycle(ListNode *head) {
        if (!head) return NULL;
        ListNode* slow = head;
        ListNode* fast = head;
        ListNode* ans = head;
        while (fast->next && fast->next->next) {
            slow = slow->next;
            fast = fast->next->next;
            if (slow == fast) {
                while (slow != ans) {
                    slow = slow->next;
                    ans = ans->next;
                }
                return ans;
            }
        }
        return NULL;
    }
};