Count Linked List Nodes

💻 Problem:

Today’s challenge is a fundamental one in data structures—finding the length of a Singly Linked List. 💻 Let's break it down!

📄 Problem Statement:

Given a singly linked list, the task is to find the number of nodes in it.

🔢 Example:

📥 Input: LinkedList: 1->2->3->4->5

📤 Output: 5 (The count of nodes is 5)

💡 Solution Approach:

In a singly linked list, we can traverse from the head to the end, counting the nodes along the way.

🔍 Efficient Time Complexity: O(n)

This ensures that no matter how long the list is, we only pass through it once, making the solution scalable and efficient. 🚀

📝 Sample Java Code:

class Node 
{
int data;
Node next;
Node(int a)
{
data = a;
next = null;
}
}
class Solution
{
// Function to count nodes in a linked list.
public int getCount(Node head)
{
int count = 0;
Node temp = head;
while(temp != null)
{
count++;
temp = temp.next;
}
return count;
}
}        

📊 Explanation:

1️⃣ Step 1: Start from the head of the linked list.

2️⃣ Step 2: Traverse through each node using a loop.

3️⃣ Step 3: For every node you visit, increase the count.

4️⃣ Step 4: Once you reach the end (null), return the total count.

⚡️ Key Takeaway:

This simple technique helps you quickly determine the length of any linked list!

Summary:

This approach efficiently computes the length of a linked list in O(n) time, making it suitable for larger lists.