Find extra node in the second Linked list

Last Updated : 15 Nov, 2022

Given two Linked list L1 and L2. The second list L2 contains all the nodes of L1 along with 1 extra node. The task is to find that extra node.
Examples:

Input: L1 = 17 -> 7 -> 6 -> 16
L2 = 17 -> 7 -> 6 -> 16 -> 15
Output: 15
Explanation:
Element 15 is not present in the L1 list
Input: L1 = 10 -> 15 -> 5
L2 = 10 -> 100 -> 15 -> 5
Output: 100

Naive approach:

Run nested loops and find the nodes in L2 which is not present in L1.
The time complexity of this approach will be O(N²) where N is the length of the linked list.

Efficient approach:

If all the nodes of the L1 and L2 are XORed together then every node of A[] will give 0 with its occurrence in L2 and the extra element say X when XORed with 0 will give (X XOR 0) = X which is the result.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ program to find the 
// extra node
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
 
using namespace std;
 
// Node of the singly linked 
// list
struct Node {
    int data;
    Node* next;
};
 
// Function to insert a node at 
// the beginning of the singly
// Linked List
void push(Node** head_ref,
          int new_data)
{
    // allocate node
    Node* new_node = 
    (Node*)malloc(sizeof
                  (struct Node));
 
    // put in the data
    new_node->data = new_data;
 
    // link the old list of the
    // new node
    new_node->next = (*head_ref);
 
    // move the head to point to 
    // the new node
    (*head_ref) = new_node;
}
 
int print(Node* head_ref,
          Node* head_ref1)
{
    int ans = 0;
 
    Node* ptr1 = head_ref;
    Node* ptr2 = head_ref1;
    // Traverse the linked list
    while (ptr1 != NULL) {
        ans ^= ptr1->data;
        ptr1 = ptr1->next;
    }
    while (ptr2 != NULL) {
        ans ^= ptr2->data;
        ptr2 = ptr2->next;
    }
    return ans;
}
 
// Driver program
int main()
{
    // start with the empty list
    Node* head1 = NULL;
    Node* head2 = NULL;
    // create the linked list
    // 15 -> 16 -> 7 -> 6 -> 17
    push(&head1, 17);
    push(&head1, 7);
    push(&head1, 6);
    push(&head1, 16);
 
    // second  LL
    push(&head2, 17);
    push(&head2, 7);
    push(&head2, 6);
    push(&head2, 16);
    push(&head1, 15);
    int k = print(head1, head2);
    cout << k;
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program to find the 
// extra node
class GFG {
    // Node of the singly
    // linked list
    static class Node {
        int data;
        Node next;
    };
 
    // Function to insert a node at 
    // the beginning of the singly
    // Linked List
    static Node push(Node head_ref,
                     int new_data)
    {
        // allocate node
        Node new_node = new Node();
 
        // put in the data
        new_node.data = new_data;
 
        // link the old list off
        // the new node
        new_node.next = (head_ref);
 
        // move the head to point
        // to the new node
        (head_ref) = new_node;
        return head_ref;
    }
 
    static void extra(Node head_ref1, 
                      Node head_ref2)
    {
        int ans = 0;
 
        Node ptr1 = head_ref1;
        Node ptr2 = head_ref2;
 
        // Traverse the linked list
        while (ptr1 != null) {
            ans ^= ptr1.data;
            ptr1 = ptr1.next;
        }
        while (ptr2 != null) {
            ans ^= ptr2.data;
            ptr2 = ptr2.next;
        }
 
        System.out.println(ans);
    }
 
    // Driver code
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
        // start with the empty list
        Node head1 = null;
        Node head2 = null;
        // create the linked list
        // 15 . 16 . 7 . 6 . 17
        head1 = push(head1, 17);
        head1 = push(head1, 7);
        head1 = push(head1, 6);
        head1 = push(head1, 16);
        head1 = push(head1, 15);
         
        // second LL
        head2 = push(head2, 17);
        head2 = push(head2, 7);
        head2 = push(head2, 6);
        head2 = push(head2, 16);
 
        extra(head1, head2);
    }
}

Python3

# Python3 program to find the 
# extra node
class Node:  
       
    def __init__(self, data):  
        self.data = data  
        self.next = next
           
# Function to insert a node at   
# the beginning of the singly 
# Linked List  
def push( head_ref, new_data) : 
   
    # allocate node  
    new_node = Node(0)  
   
    # put in the data  
    new_node.data = new_data  
   
    # link the old list off 
    # the new node  
    new_node.next = (head_ref)  
   
    # move the head to point
    # to the new node  
    (head_ref) = new_node 
    return head_ref 
   
 
def extra(head_ref1, head_ref2) : 
   
    ans = 0
   
    ptr1 = head_ref1  
    ptr2 = head_ref2
    # Traverse the linked list  
    while (ptr1 != None):
        # if current node is prime,  
        # Find sum and product  
        ans ^= ptr1.data
        ptr1 = ptr1.next
    while(ptr2 != None):
        ans^= ptr2.data
        ptr2 = ptr2.next
    print(ans)  
   ## print( "Product = ", prod)  
   
# Driver code  
   
# start with the empty list  
head1 = None
head2 = None
# create the linked list  
# 15 . 16 . 7 . 6 . 17  
head1 = push(head1, 17)  
head1 = push(head1, 7)  
head1 = push(head1, 6)  
head1 = push(head1, 16)  
head1 = push(head1, 15)  
 
# create the linked list 
head2 = push(head2, 17)  
head2 = push(head2, 7)  
head2 = push(head2, 6)  
head2 = push(head2, 16)  
 
   
extra(head1, head2)

C#

// C# program to find the extra node
using System;
 
class GFG{
     
// Node of the singly
// linked list
class Node
{
    public int data;
    public Node next;
};
 
// Function to insert a node at 
// the beginning of the singly
// Linked List
static Node push(Node head_ref,
                 int new_data)
{
     
    // Allocate node
    Node new_node = new Node();
 
    // Put in the data
    new_node.data = new_data;
 
    // Link the old list off
    // the new node
    new_node.next = (head_ref);
 
    // Move the head to point
    // to the new node
    (head_ref) = new_node;
     
    return head_ref;
}
 
static void extra(Node head_ref1, 
                  Node head_ref2)
{
    int ans = 0;
 
    Node ptr1 = head_ref1;
    Node ptr2 = head_ref2;
 
    // Traverse the linked list
    while (ptr1 != null)
    {
        ans ^= ptr1.data;
        ptr1 = ptr1.next;
    }
    while (ptr2 != null) 
    {
        ans ^= ptr2.data;
        ptr2 = ptr2.next;
    }
    Console.WriteLine(ans);
}
 
// Driver code
public static void Main(String []args)
{
     
    // Start with the empty list
    Node head1 = null;
    Node head2 = null;
     
    // Create the linked list
    // 15 . 16 . 7 . 6 . 17
    head1 = push(head1, 17);
    head1 = push(head1, 7);
    head1 = push(head1, 6);
    head1 = push(head1, 16);
    head1 = push(head1, 15);
         
    // Second LL
    head2 = push(head2, 17);
    head2 = push(head2, 7);
    head2 = push(head2, 6);
    head2 = push(head2, 16);
 
    extra(head1, head2);
}
}
 
// This code is contributed by Rajput-Ji

Javascript

<script>
 
// Javascript program to find the 
// extra node
 
// Node of the singly linked 
// list
class Node {
 
    constructor()
    {
        this.data = 0;
        this.next = null;
    }
};
 
// Function to insert a node at 
// the beginning of the singly
// Linked List
function push(head_ref, new_data)
{
    // allocate node
    var new_node = new Node();
 
    // put in the data
    new_node.data = new_data;
 
    // link the old list of the
    // new node
    new_node.next = (head_ref);
 
    // move the head to point to 
    // the new node
    (head_ref) = new_node;
    return head_ref;
}
 
function print(head_ref, head_ref1)
{
    var ans = 0;
 
    var ptr1 = head_ref;
    var ptr2 = head_ref1;
    // Traverse the linked list
    while (ptr1 != null) {
        ans ^= ptr1.data;
        ptr1 = ptr1.next;
    }
    while (ptr2 != null) {
        ans ^= ptr2.data;
        ptr2 = ptr2.next;
    }
    return ans;
}
 
// Driver program
// start with the empty list
var head1 = null;
var head2 = null;
 
// create the linked list
// 15 . 16 . 7 . 6 . 17
head1 = push(head1, 17);
head1 = push(head1, 7);
head1 = push(head1, 6);
head1 = push(head1, 16);
 
// second  LL
head2 = push(head2, 17);
head2 = push(head2, 7);
head2 = push(head2, 6);
head2 = push(head2, 16);
head1 = push(head1, 15);
var k = print(head1, head2);
document.write( k);
 
// This code is contributed by noob2000.
</script>

Output:

Time Complexity: O(N)
Space Complexity: O(1)

Find the balanced node in a Linked List

ShivaTeja2

Improve

Find extra node in the second Linked list

C++

Java

Python3

C#

Javascript

Similar Reads

What kind of Experience do you want to share?