Find the second last node of a linked list in single traversal

Last Updated : 09 Jun, 2021

Given a linked list. The task is to find the second last node of the linked list using a single traversal only.
Examples:

Input : List = 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> NULL
Output : 4
Input : List = 2 -> 4 -> 6 -> 8 -> 33 -> 67 -> NULL
Output : 33

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The idea is to traverse the linked list following the below approach:

If the list is empty or contains less than 2 elements, return false.
Otherwise check if the current node is the second last node of the linked list or not. That is, if (current_node->next-next == NULL ) then the current node is the second last node.
If the current node is the second last node, print the node otherwise move to the next node.
Repeat the above two steps until the second last node is reached.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ program to find the second last node
// of a linked list in single traversal
 
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
 
// Link list node
struct Node {
    int data;
    struct Node* next;
};
 
// Function to find the second last
// node of the linked list
int findSecondLastNode(struct Node* head)
{
    struct Node* temp = head;
 
    // If the list is empty or contains less
    // than 2 nodes
    if (temp == NULL || temp->next == NULL)
        return -1;
 
    // Traverse the linked list
    while (temp != NULL) {
 
        // Check if the current node  is the
        // second last node or not
        if (temp->next->next == NULL)
            return temp->data;
 
        // If not then move to the next node
        temp = temp->next;
    }
}
 
// Function to push node at head
void push(struct Node** head_ref, int new_data)
{
    Node* new_node = new Node;
    new_node->data = new_data;
    new_node->next = (*head_ref);
    (*head_ref) = new_node;
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    /* Start with the empty list */
    struct Node* head = NULL;
 
    /* Use push() function to construct
    the below list 8 -> 23 -> 11 -> 29 -> 12 */
    push(&head, 12);
    push(&head, 29);
    push(&head, 11);
    push(&head, 23);
    push(&head, 8);
 
    cout << findSecondLastNode(head);
 
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program to find the second last node
// of a linked list in single traversal
 
// Linked list node
class Node
{
    int data;
    Node next;
    Node(int d)
    {
        this.data = d;
        this.next = null;
    }
}
class LinkedList
{
    Node start;
    LinkedList()
    {
        start = null;
    }
     
    // Function to push node at head
    public void push(int data)
    {
        if(this.start == null)
        {
        Node temp = new Node(data);
        this.start = temp;
        }
        else
        {
            Node temp = new Node(data);
            temp.next = this.start;
            this.start = temp;
        }
    }
     
    // method to find the second last
    // node of the linked list
    public int findSecondLastNode(Node ptr)
    {
        Node temp = ptr;
         
        // If the list is empty or contains less
        // than 2 nodes
        if(temp == null || temp.next == null)
            return -1;
     
            // This loop stops at second last node
        while(temp.next.next != null)
        {
            temp = temp.next;
        }
        return temp.data;
    }
     
    // Driver code
    public static void main(String[] args)
    {
        LinkedList ll = new LinkedList();
         
        /* Use push() function to construct
        the below list 8 -> 23 -> 11 -> 29 -> 12 */
        ll.push(12);
        ll.push(29);
        ll.push(11);
        ll.push(23);
        ll.push(8);
        System.out.println(ll.findSecondLastNode(ll.start));
    }
}
 
// This code is Contributed by Adarsh_Verma

Python3

# Python3 program to find the second last node
# of a linked list in single traversal
import math
 
# Link list node
class Node:
    def __init__(self, data):
        self.data = data
        self.next = None
 
# Function to find the second last
# node of the linked list
def findSecondLastNode(head):
    temp = head
 
    # If the list is empty or
    # contains less than 2 nodes
    if (temp == None or temp.next == None):
        return -1
 
    # Traverse the linked list
    while (temp != None):
 
        # Check if the current node is the
        # second last node or not
        if (temp.next.next == None):
            return temp.data
             
        # If not then move to the next node
        temp = temp.next
 
# Function to push node at head
def push(head, new_data):
    new_node = Node(new_data)
    #new_node.data = new_data
    new_node.next = head
    head = new_node
    return head
 
# Driver code
if __name__ == '__main__':
     
    # Start with the empty list
    head = None
 
    # Use push() function to construct
    # the below list 8 . 23 . 11 . 29 . 12
    head = push(head, 12)
    head = push(head, 29)
    head = push(head, 11)
    head = push(head, 23)
    head = push(head, 8)
 
    print(findSecondLastNode(head))
 
# This code is contributed by Srathore

C#

// C# program to find the second last node
// of a linked list in single traversal
using System;
 
// Linked list node
public class Node
{
    public int data;
    public Node next;
    public Node(int d)
    {
        this.data = d;
        this.next = null;
    }
}
public class LinkedList
{
    Node start;
    LinkedList()
    {
        start = null;
    }
     
    // Function to push node at head
    public void push(int data)
    {
        if(this.start == null)
        {
        Node temp = new Node(data);
        this.start = temp;
        }
        else
        {
            Node temp = new Node(data);
            temp.next = this.start;
            this.start = temp;
        }
    }
     
    // method to find the second last
    // node of the linked list
    public int findSecondLastNode(Node ptr)
    {
        Node temp = ptr;
         
        // If the list is empty or contains less
        // than 2 nodes
        if(temp == null || temp.next == null)
            return -1;
     
            // This loop stops at second last node
        while(temp.next.next != null)
        {
            temp = temp.next;
        }
        return temp.data;
    }
     
    // Driver code
    public static void Main()
    {
        LinkedList ll = new LinkedList();
         
        /* Use push() function to construct
        the below list 8 -> 23 -> 11 -> 29 -> 12 */
        ll.push(12);
        ll.push(29);
        ll.push(11);
        ll.push(23);
        ll.push(8);
        Console.WriteLine(ll.findSecondLastNode(ll.start));
    }
}
 
// This code is contributed by PrinciRaj1992

Javascript

<script>
 
// Javascript program to find the second last node
// of a linked list in single traversal
 
// Link list node
 
class Node {
constructor(data) {
this.data = data;
this.next = null;
}
}
 
// method to find the second last
// node of the linked list
function findSecondLastNode( ptr)
{
var temp = head ;
 
// If the list is empty or
// contains less than 2 nodes
if (temp == null || temp.next == null)
return -1 ;
 
// Traverse the linked list
while (temp != null)
{
 
// Check if the current node is the
// second last node or not
if (temp.next.next == null)
return temp.data;
 
// If not then move to the next node
temp = temp.next;
}
}
 
// Function to push node at head
function push( data)
{
var new_node = new Node(data) ;
new_node.next = head ;
head = new_node ;
return head ;
}
 
// Driver Code
 
var head = null ;
 
/* Use push() function to construct
the below list 8 -> 23 -> 11 -> 29 -> 12 */
 
head = push(12);
head = push(29);
head = push(11);
head = push(23);
head = push(8);
document.write(findSecondLastNode(head));
 
// This code is contributed by jana_sayantan.
</script>

Output:

Time complexity : O(n)

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Table of Contents

Find the second last node of a linked list in single traversal

C++

Java

Python3

C#

Javascript