Adding two polynomials using Linked List

Difficulty Level : Medium
Last Updated : 23 Apr, 2021

Given two polynomial numbers represented by a linked list. Write a function that add these lists means add the coefficients who have same variable powers.
Example:

Input:
     1st number = 5x² + 4x¹ + 2x⁰
     2nd number = -5x¹ - 5x⁰
Output:
        5x²-1x¹-3x⁰
Input:
     1st number = 5x³ + 4x² + 2x⁰
     2nd number = 5x^1 - 5x^0
Output:
        5x³ + 4x² + 5x¹ - 3x⁰

Addition-of-two-polynomial

CPP

// C++ program for addition of two polynomials
// using Linked Lists
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Node structure containing power and coefficient of
// variable
struct Node {
    int coeff;
    int pow;
    struct Node* next;
};
 
// Function to create new node
void create_node(int x, int y, struct Node** temp)
{
    struct Node *r, *z;
    z = *temp;
    if (z == NULL) {
        r = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
        r->coeff = x;
        r->pow = y;
        *temp = r;
        r->next = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
        r = r->next;
        r->next = NULL;
    }
    else {
        r->coeff = x;
        r->pow = y;
        r->next = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
        r = r->next;
        r->next = NULL;
    }
}
 
// Function Adding two polynomial numbers
void polyadd(struct Node* poly1, struct Node* poly2,
             struct Node* poly)
{
    while (poly1->next && poly2->next) {
        // If power of 1st polynomial is greater then 2nd,
        // then store 1st as it is and move its pointer
        if (poly1->pow > poly2->pow) {
            poly->pow = poly1->pow;
            poly->coeff = poly1->coeff;
            poly1 = poly1->next;
        }
 
        // If power of 2nd polynomial is greater then 1st,
        // then store 2nd as it is and move its pointer
        else if (poly1->pow < poly2->pow) {
            poly->pow = poly2->pow;
            poly->coeff = poly2->coeff;
            poly2 = poly2->next;
        }
 
        // If power of both polynomial numbers is same then
        // add their coefficients
        else {
            poly->pow = poly1->pow;
            poly->coeff = poly1->coeff + poly2->coeff;
            poly1 = poly1->next;
            poly2 = poly2->next;
        }
 
        // Dynamically create new node
        poly->next
            = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
        poly = poly->next;
        poly->next = NULL;
    }
    while (poly1->next || poly2->next) {
        if (poly1->next) {
            poly->pow = poly1->pow;
            poly->coeff = poly1->coeff;
            poly1 = poly1->next;
        }
        if (poly2->next) {
            poly->pow = poly2->pow;
            poly->coeff = poly2->coeff;
            poly2 = poly2->next;
        }
        poly->next
            = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
        poly = poly->next;
        poly->next = NULL;
    }
}
 
// Display Linked list
void show(struct Node* node)
{
    while (node->next != NULL) {
        printf("%dx^%d", node->coeff, node->pow);
        node = node->next;
        if (node->coeff >= 0) {
            if (node->next != NULL)
                printf("+");
        }
    }
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    struct Node *poly1 = NULL, *poly2 = NULL, *poly = NULL;
 
    // Create first list of 5x^2 + 4x^1 + 2x^0
    create_node(5, 2, &poly1);
    create_node(4, 1, &poly1);
    create_node(2, 0, &poly1);
 
    // Create second list of -5x^1 - 5x^0
    create_node(-5, 1, &poly2);
    create_node(-5, 0, &poly2);
 
    printf("1st Number: ");
    show(poly1);
 
    printf("\n2nd Number: ");
    show(poly2);
 
    poly = (struct Node*)malloc(sizeof(struct Node));
 
    // Function add two polynomial numbers
    polyadd(poly1, poly2, poly);
 
    // Display resultant List
    printf("\nAdded polynomial: ");
    show(poly);
 
    return 0;
}

Java

import java.io.*;
import java.util.Scanner;
 
class Polynomial {
    public static Node addPolynomial(Node p1, Node p2)
    {
 
        Node a = p1, b = p2, newHead = new Node(0, 0),
             c = newHead;
 
        while (a != null || b != null) {
 
            if (a == null) {
                c.next = b;
                break;
            }
            else if (b == null) {
                c.next = a;
                break;
            }
 
            else if (a.pow == b.pow) {
                c.next = new Node(a.coeff + b.coeff, a.pow);
 
                a = a.next;
                b = b.next;
            }
 
            else if (a.pow > b.pow) {
                c.next = new Node(a.coeff, a.pow);
 
                a = a.next;
            }
 
            else if (a.pow < b.pow) {
                c.next = new Node(b.coeff, b.pow);
 
                b = b.next;
            }
 
            c = c.next;
        }
 
        return newHead.next;
    }
}
 
// Utilities for Linked List Nodes
class Node {
    int coeff;
    int pow;
    Node next;
    Node(int a, int b)
    {
        coeff = a;
        pow = b;
        next = null;
    }
}
 
//Linked List main class
class LinkedList {
   
    public static void main(String args[])
    {
 
        Node start1 = null, cur1 = null, start2 = null,
             cur2 = null;
 
        int[] list1_coeff = { 5, 4, 2 };
        int[] list1_pow = { 2, 1, 0 };
        int n = list1_coeff.length;
 
        int i = 0;
        while (n-- > 0) {
            int a = list1_coeff[i];
            int b = list1_pow[i];
 
            Node ptr = new Node(a, b);
 
            if (start1 == null) {
                start1 = ptr;
                cur1 = ptr;
            }
 
            else {
                cur1.next = ptr;
                cur1 = ptr;
            }
 
            i++;
        }
 
        int[] list2_coeff = { -5, -5 };
        int[] list2_pow = { 1, 0 };
        n = list2_coeff.length;
 
        i = 0;
        while (n-- > 0) {
            int a = list2_coeff[i];
            int b = list2_pow[i];
 
            Node ptr = new Node(a, b);
 
            if (start2 == null) {
                start2 = ptr;
                cur2 = ptr;
            }
 
            else {
                cur2.next = ptr;
                cur2 = ptr;
            }
 
            i++;
        }
 
        Polynomial obj = new Polynomial();
 
        Node sum = obj.addPolynomial(start1, start2);
 
        Node trav = sum;
        while (trav != null) {
            System.out.print(trav.coeff + "x^" + trav.pow);
            if (trav.next != null)
                System.out.print(" + ");
            trav = trav.next;
        }
        System.out.println();
    }
}

Output

1st Number: 5x^2+4x^1+2x^0
2nd Number: -5x^1-5x^0
Added polynomial: 5x^2-1x^1-3x^0

Time Complexity: O(m + n) where m and n are number of nodes in first and second lists respectively.
Related Article: Add two polynomial numbers using Arrays
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