Delete every mth element in a linked list ??

[Aditya]

This is a normal interview question, which goes like this
"Given a linked list of integers, delete every mth node and return the
last remaining node."

eg: Linked list = 4->6->7->3->5->6->10->1->23->17
Delete every 3rd node (m = 3) and return the last remaining node
meaning...
4->6->3->5->10->1->17
4->3->5->1->17
3->5->17
3->17
3

after deleting every 3rd node the last remaining node is 3, so node
with data 3 is returned.
function prototype:

node* deleteEveryMth(node** head, int m)
{
// .... your code

}

thanks
A

 

[Richard Heathfield]

Aditya said:

This is a normal interview question, which goes like this
"Given a linked list of integers, delete every mth node and return the
last remaining node."

eg: Linked list = 4->6->7->3->5->6->10->1->23->17
Delete every 3rd node (m = 3) and return the last remaining node
meaning...
4->6->3->5->10->1->17
4->3->5->1->17
3->5->17
3->17
3

after deleting every 3rd node the last remaining node is 3, so node
with data 3 is returned.
function prototype:

node* deleteEveryMth(node** head, int m)
{
// .... your code

No, yours.

 

[Ian Collins]

This is a normal interview question, which goes like this
"Given a linked list of integers, delete every mth node and return the
last remaining node."

Please don't post to multiple groups, cross post if you must, or better
still, post to one group.

 

[jaysome]

This is a normal interview question, which goes like this

I've never asked this question in an interview, nor do I ever plan to.
I guess I must be abnormal.

"Given a linked list of integers, delete every mth node and return the
last remaining node."

eg: Linked list = 4->6->7->3->5->6->10->1->23->17
Delete every 3rd node (m = 3) and return the last remaining node
meaning...
4->6->3->5->10->1->17
4->3->5->1->17
3->5->17
3->17
3

after deleting every 3rd node the last remaining node is 3, so node
with data 3 is returned.
function prototype:

node* deleteEveryMth(node** head, int m)
{
// .... your code

}

I have no clue.

But if, and when, I ever need to know how to delete every mth node in
a linked list of integers, I'll spend the time to learn how to do it
right, and I'll get it right. And the customer will pay me dearly for
it.

At an interview, I start off with asking very simple questions, like
what's wrong with the following statements?

void main(void);
i = i++ % MAX_VAL;
p = (int*)malloc(4 * 4);
int main(void) {return -1;}
goto ERROR;
gets(s);
fflush(STDIN);
#define N X+1
unsigned i; for(i=1;i>=0;i--)
while(1)

Once they answer those questions, it's usually easy to determine where
the interview is headed.

 

[Richard Heathfield]

jaysome said:

At an interview, I start off with asking very simple questions,

Ooh, ooh, I love these...

like
what's wrong with the following statements?

void main(void);

It's not a statement.

i = i++ % MAX_VAL;

MAX_VAL is undefined, so you can't take its percentage.

p = (int*)malloc(4 * 4);

(int*): malloc returns a pointer, and you can't multiply ints by pointers.

int main(void) {return -1;}

The actual program has been left out.

goto ERROR;

goto can't be an error; it's a keyword, so it's built into the language.

gets(s);

Should be: s = gets(s);

fflush(STDIN);

Ah, good old case sensitivity. This should of course be FFLUSH(STDIN);

#define N X+1

As everyone knows, X stands for unknown, so X+1 is meaningless.

unsigned i; for(i=1;i>=0;i--)

i is a lousy name for a variable. Better:

unsigned eternity_ring; for(eternity_ring = 1;
eternity_ring >= 0;
eternity_ring --)

Note the cool formatting, which should ensure that I get 11/10 for this
quiz.

while(1)

Should be while(2), as it is the second loop in this test.

Once they answer those questions, it's usually easy to determine where
the interview is headed.

How did I do?

 

[Mark L Pappin]

jaysome said:

How did I do?

Considering your answers as a coherent whole, I'd hire you.

mlp

 

[Barry]

This is a normal interview question, which goes like this
"Given a linked list of integers, delete every mth node and return the
last remaining node."

eg: Linked list = 4->6->7->3->5->6->10->1->23->17
Delete every 3rd node (m = 3) and return the last remaining node
meaning...
4->6->3->5->10->1->17
4->3->5->1->17
3->5->17
3->17
3

after deleting every 3rd node the last remaining node is 3, so node
with data 3 is returned.
function prototype:

node* deleteEveryMth(node** head, int m)
{
// .... your code

}

thanks
A

The example looks broken. And how do you delete the 3rd node
from a list with two entries?

 

[Barry]

jaysome said:



Ooh, ooh, I love these...

i is a lousy name for a variable. Better:

unsigned eternity_ring; for(eternity_ring = 1;
eternity_ring >= 0;
eternity_ring --)

Note the cool formatting, which should ensure that I get 11/10 for this
quiz.


Should be while(2), as it is the second loop in this test.

I would have missed this one I would have said it should be:
unsigned i; for(i=1;i>=0;i--)

 

[Richard Heathfield]

Barry said:

The example looks broken. And how do you delete the 3rd node
from a list with two entries?

Like this.

 

[Random832]

void main(void);

Nothing, assuming that main is never used in the scope in which this
declaration appears.

p = (int*)malloc(4 * 4);

There's several things wrong with it. The most obvious one is casting
malloc, but there's also the assumption that int has a size of 4.

int main(void) {return -1;}

The range of values that main may return is implementation-defined. On
some implementations (this answer is appropriate if interviewing for
a position where you know you'll be programming for windows or unix), it
must be between 0 and 255. For portable code, it must be 0,
EXIT_SUCCESS, or EXIT_FAILURE.

goto ERROR;

ERROR is a reserved identifier. (I hope this is what you were looking
for, rather than some trite condemnation of the use of "goto" without
seeing the context)

fflush(STDIN);

Nothing, assuming that STDIN is of type FILE * and points to a file
opened for output. However, isn't that a bit of a trick question? It'd
be bad programming practice to use that name anyway I guess.

unsigned i; for(i=1;i>=0;i--)

i will wrap around to at least 65535 after reaching 0; it will never
become less than 0.

while(1)

Not sure I see the problem here. for(; might be better style.

If you think it's less efficient, this says more about the interviewer
than the interviewee.

 

[jaysome]

jaysome said:



Ooh, ooh, I love these...


It's not a statement.


MAX_VAL is undefined, so you can't take its percentage.


(int*): malloc returns a pointer, and you can't multiply ints by pointers.


The actual program has been left out.


goto can't be an error; it's a keyword, so it's built into the language.


Should be: s = gets(s);


Ah, good old case sensitivity. This should of course be FFLUSH(STDIN);


As everyone knows, X stands for unknown, so X+1 is meaningless.


i is a lousy name for a variable. Better:

unsigned eternity_ring; for(eternity_ring = 1;
eternity_ring >= 0;
eternity_ring --)

Note the cool formatting, which should ensure that I get 11/10 for this
quiz.


Should be while(2), as it is the second loop in this test.


How did I do?

Further interrogation would be required to determine that. I must
admit that, based on your answers, I would need to excuse myself for a
moment while I grabbed my Schildt hard-copy of the standard. I'd
recite a good number of carefully chosen passages from the text of the
book, and simply ask you after each citation: "Am I reading from the
left or the right page"? Answer them all and you'd score an 11.

Happy Holidays

 

[Richard Heathfield]

jaysome said:

Further interrogation would be required to determine that. I must
admit that, based on your answers, I would need to excuse myself for a
moment while I grabbed my Schildt hard-copy of the standard. I'd
recite a good number of carefully chosen passages from the text of the
book, and simply ask you after each citation: "Am I reading from the
left or the right page"? Answer them all and you'd score an 11.

Easy-peasy. "Yes. Yes. Yes." (Watching interviewer's eyes carefully...) "No,
you just made that one up. Yes. Yes. No. ..."