Cycle Detection in a Linked List

Determine if a given Singly Linked List of integers forms a cycle.

Explanation:

A cycle exists in a linked list if a node's next pointer points back to a previous node, creating a loop instead of reaching the end. In a cyclic linked list, there's no clear beginning or end, but rather a continuous loop of nodes.

Note:

This is a binary problem, meaning you will only receive full marks if all test cases are correct without partial credit.

Input:

The first line for each test case contains the elements of the singly linked list, separated by a single space, and ends with -1. The value -1 will not be an element of the list.
The second line contains an integer 'pos', representing the position (0-indexed) in the linked list where the tail connects to form a cycle. If 'pos' is -1, there is no cycle in the linked list.

Output:

Output "true" if the linked list contains a cycle, otherwise "false".
Note: You are not required to explicitly print the output; this has been handled for you.

Example:

Input:
3 2 0 -4 -1
1
Output:
true

Input:
1 2 3 4 5 -1
-1
Output:
false

Constraints:

  • 0 ≤ N ≤ 10^6
  • -1 ≤ pos < N
  • -10^9 ≤ data ≤ 10^9, data ≠ -1
  • 'N' is the number of nodes in the linked list.
  • 'pos' indicates the position (0-indexed) where the tail connects to the list.
  • 'data' is the integer value of the linked list node.
  • Time Limit: 1 second
Note:
Attempt to solve this problem with O(N) time complexity and O(1) space complexity.
AnswerBot
4mo

Detect if a singly linked list forms a cycle by checking if a node's next pointer points back to a previous node.

  • Traverse the linked list using two pointers, one moving at double the speed of the othe...read more

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