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Binary Search on Singly Linked List

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Given a singly linked list and a key, the task is to find the key in the Linked List using Binary Search

Examples: 

Input: LinkedList = 1->4->7->8->9->10, key = 7

Output: Present

Input: LinkedList = 1->4->7->8->9->10, key = 12

Output: Value Not Present

Approach: To solve the problem using Binary search follow the below idea:

To perform a Binary search on a Linked List, the most important idea is to find the middle element of the Linked List on every iteration, which takes O(N) time everytime. This can be avoided if skip list is used.

  • Find the middle element of the Linked List
  • Compare the middle element with the key. 
  • If the key is found at the middle element, the process is terminated.
  • If the key is not found at middle element, choose which half will be used as the next search space.
    • If the key is smaller than the middle node, then the left side is used for the next search.
    • If the key is larger than the middle node, then the right side is used for the next search.
  • This process is continued until the key is found or the total Linked List is exhausted.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// CPP code to implement binary search
// on Singly Linked List
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

struct Node {
    int data;
    struct Node* next;
};

Node* newNode(int x)
{
    struct Node* temp = new Node;
    temp->data = x;
    temp->next = NULL;
    return temp;
}

// function to find out middle element
struct Node* middle(Node* start, Node* last)
{
    if (start == NULL)
        return NULL;

    struct Node* slow = start;
    struct Node* fast = start->next;

    while (fast != last) {
        fast = fast->next;
        if (fast != last) {
            slow = slow->next;
            fast = fast->next;
        }
    }

    return slow;
}

// Function for implementing the Binary
// Search on linked list
struct Node* binarySearch(Node* head, int value)
{
    struct Node* start = head;
    struct Node* last = NULL;

    do {
        // Find middle
        Node* mid = middle(start, last);

        // If middle is empty
        if (mid == NULL)
            return NULL;

        // If value is present at middle
        if (mid->data == value)
            return mid;

        // If value is more than mid
        else if (mid->data < value)
            start = mid->next;

        // If the value is less than mid.
        else
            last = mid;

    } while (last == NULL || last != start);

    // value not present
    return NULL;
}

// Driver Code
int main()
{
    Node* head = newNode(1);
    head->next = newNode(4);
    head->next->next = newNode(7);
    head->next->next->next = newNode(8);
    head->next->next->next->next = newNode(9);
    head->next->next->next->next->next = newNode(10);
    int value = 7;
    if (binarySearch(head, value) == NULL)
        printf("Value not present\n");
    else
        printf("Present");
    return 0;
}

Java


// Java code to implement binary search 
// on Singly Linked List 

// Node Class
class Node
{
    int data;
    Node next;

    // Constructor to create a new node
    Node(int d)
    {
        data = d;
        next = null;
    }
}

class BinarySearch
{
    // function to insert a node at the beginning
    // of the Singly Linked List
    static Node push(Node head, int data)
    {
        Node newNode = new Node(data);
        newNode.next = head;
        head = newNode;
        return head;
    }

    // Function to find middle element
    // using Fast and Slow pointers
    static Node middleNode(Node start, Node last) 
    {
        if (start == null)
            return null;

        Node slow = start;
        Node fast = start.next;

        while (fast != last)
        {
            fast = fast.next;
            if (fast != last) 
            {
                slow = slow.next;
                fast = fast.next;
            }
        }
        return slow;
    }

    // function to insert a node at the beginning
    // of the Singly Linked List
    static Node binarySearch(Node head, int value) 
    {
        Node start = head;
        Node last = null;

        do
        {
            // Find Middle
            Node mid = middleNode(start, last);

            // If middle is empty
            if (mid == null)
                return null;

            // If value is present at middle
            if (mid.data == value)
                return mid;

            // If value is less than mid
            else if (mid.data > value) 
            {
              last = mid;
            }

            // If the value is more than mid.
            else
                 start = mid.next;
        } while (last == null || last != start);

        // value not present
        return null;
    }

    // Driver Code
    public static void main(String[] args) 
    {
        Node head = null;

        // Using push() function to
        // convert singly linked list
        // 10 -> 9 -> 8 -> 7 -> 4 -> 1
        head = push(head, 1);
        head = push(head, 4);
        head = push(head, 7);
        head = push(head, 8);
        head = push(head, 9);
        head = push(head, 10);
        int value = 7;

        if (binarySearch(head, value) == null)
        {
            System.out.println("Value not present");
        } 
        else
        {
            System.out.println("Present");
        }
    }
}

// This code is contributed by Vivekkumar Singh

Python

# Python code to implement binary search 
# on Singly Linked List 

# Link list node 
class Node: 
    
    def __init__(self, data): 
        self.data = data 
        self.next = None
        self.prev = None
        
def newNode(x):

    temp = Node(0)
    temp.data = x
    temp.next = None
    return temp

# function to find out middle element
def middle(start, last):

    if (start == None):
        return None

    slow = start
    fast = start . next

    while (fast != last):
    
        fast = fast . next
        if (fast != last):
        
            slow = slow . next
            fast = fast . next
        
    return slow

# Function for implementing the Binary
# Search on linked list
def binarySearch(head,value):

    start = head
    last = None

    while True :
    
        # Find middle
        mid = middle(start, last)

        # If middle is empty
        if (mid == None):
            return None

        # If value is present at middle
        if (mid . data == value):
            return mid

        # If value is more than mid
        elif (mid . data < value):
            start = mid . next

        # If the value is less than mid.
        else:
            last = mid

        if not (last == None or last != start):
            break

    # value not present
    return None

# Driver Code

head = newNode(1)
head.next = newNode(4)
head.next.next = newNode(7)
head.next.next.next = newNode(8)
head.next.next.next.next = newNode(9)
head.next.next.next.next.next = newNode(10)
value = 7
if (binarySearch(head, value) == None):
    print("Value not present\n")
else:
    print("Present")
    
# This code is contributed by Arnab Kundu


C#


// C# code to implement binary search 
// on Singly Linked List 

using System;

// Node Class
public class Node
{
    public int data;
    public Node next;

    // Constructor to create a new node
    public Node(int d)
    {
        data = d;
        next = null;
    }
}

class BinarySearch
{
    // function to insert a node at the beginning
    // of the Singly Linked List
    static Node push(Node head, int data)
    {
        Node newNode = new Node(data);
        newNode.next = head;
        head = newNode;
        return head;
    }

    // Function to find middle element
    // using Fast and Slow pointers
    static Node middleNode(Node start, Node last) 
    {
        if (start == null)
            return null;

        Node slow = start;
        Node fast = start.next;

        while (fast != last)
        {
            fast = fast.next;
            if (fast != last) 
            {
                slow = slow.next;
                fast = fast.next;
            }
        }
        return slow;
    }

    // function to insert a node at the beginning
    // of the Singly Linked List
    static Node binarySearch(Node head, int value) 
    {
        Node start = head;
        Node last = null;

        do
        {
            // Find Middle
            Node mid = middleNode(start, last);

            // If middle is empty
            if (mid == null)
                return null;

            // If value is present at middle
            if (mid.data == value)
                return mid;

            // If value is less than mid
            else if (mid.data > value) 
            {
                start = mid.next;
            }

            // If the value is more than mid.
            else
                last = mid;
        } while (last == null || last != start);

        // value not present
        return null;
    }

    // Driver Code
    public static void Main(String []args) 
    {
        Node head = null;

        // Using push() function to
        // convert singly linked list
        // 10 -> 9 -> 8 -> 7 -> 4 -> 1
        head = push(head, 1);
        head = push(head, 4);
        head = push(head, 7);
        head = push(head, 8);
        head = push(head, 9);
        head = push(head, 10);
        int value = 7;

        if (binarySearch(head, value) == null)
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Value not present");
        } 
        else
        {
            Console.WriteLine("Present");
        }
    }
}

// This code is contributed by Arnab Kundu

Javascript

<script>

// JavaScript code to implement binary search 
// on Singly Linked List 

// Node Class
class Node
{
    constructor(data)
    {
        this.data = data;
        this.next = null;
    }
}

// function to insert a node at the beginning
// of the Singly Linked List
function push(head, data)
{
    var newNode = new Node(data);
    newNode.next = head;
    head = newNode;
    return head;
}

// Function to find middle element
// using Fast and Slow pointers
function middleNode(start, last) 
{
    if (start == null)
        return null;
    var slow = start;
    var fast = start.next;
    while (fast != last)
    {
        fast = fast.next;
        if (fast != last) 
        {
            slow = slow.next;
            fast = fast.next;
        }
    }
    return slow;
}
// function to insert a node at the beginning
// of the Singly Linked List
function binarySearch(head, value) 
{
    var start = head;
    var last = null;
    do
    {
        // Find Middle
        var mid = middleNode(start, last);
        // If middle is empty
        if (mid == null)
            return null;
        // If value is present at middle
        if (mid.data == value)
            return mid;
        // If value is less than mid
        else if (mid.data > value) 
        {
            start = mid.next;
        }
        // If the value is more than mid.
        else
            last = mid;
    } while (last == null || last != start);
    // value not present
    return null;
}

// Driver Code
var head = null;
// Using push() function to
// convert singly linked list
// 10 -> 9 -> 8 -> 7 -> 4 -> 1
head = push(head, 1);
head = push(head, 4);
head = push(head, 7);
head = push(head, 8);
head = push(head, 9);
head = push(head, 10);
var value = 7;
if (binarySearch(head, value) == null)
{
    document.write("Value not present");
} 
else
{
    document.write("Present");
}


</script> 
Output

Present

Complexity Analysis:

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


Last Updated : 01 Jun, 2023
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