删除单链表倒数第n个节点

基本问题

如何删除单链表中的倒数第n个节点？

常规解法

先遍历一遍单链表，计算出单链表的长度，然后，从单链表头部删除指定的节点。

代码实现

 /**
  * 
  * Description: 删除单链表倒数第n个节点，常规解法.
  *
  *  @param  head
  *  @param  n
  *  @return  ListNode
  */
 public   static  ListNode removeNthFromEnd(ListNode head,  int  n) {
     if  (head ==  null )
         return   null ;
     //get length of list
    ListNode p = head;
     int  len = 0;
     while  (p !=  null ) {
        len++;
        p = p. next ;
    }
     //if remove first node
     int  fromStart = len - n + 1;
     if  (fromStart == 1)
         return  head. next ;
     //remove non-first node    
    p = head;
     int  i = 0;
     while  (p !=  null ) {
        i++;
         if  (i == fromStart - 1) {
            p. next  = p. next . next ;
        }
        p = p. next ;
    }
     return  head;
}

一次遍历法

使用快慢指针。快指针比慢指针提前n个单元。当快指针到达单链表尾部时，慢指针指向待删除节点的前节点。

代码实现

 /**
  * 
  * Description: 删除单链表倒数第n个节点，快慢指针法.
  *
  *  @param  head
  *  @param  n
  *  @return  ListNode
  */
 public   static  ListNode removeNthFromEnd(ListNode head,  int  n) {
     if  (head ==  null )
         return   null ;
    ListNode fast = head;
    ListNode slow = head;
     for  ( int  i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        fast = fast. next ;
    }
     //if remove the first node
     if  (fast ==  null ) {
        head = head. next ;
         return  head;
    }
     while  (fast. next  !=  null ) {
        fast = fast. next ;
        slow = slow. next ;
    }
    slow. next  = slow. next . next ;
     return  head;
}