Copy List with Random Pointer

Task

 

A linked list of length n is given such that each node contains an additional random pointer, which could point to any node in the list, or null.

Construct a deep copy of the list. The deep copy should consist of exactly n brand new nodes, where each new node has its value set to the value of its corresponding original node. Both the next and random pointer of the new nodes should point to new nodes in the copied list such that the pointers in the original list and copied list represent the same list state. None of the pointers in the new list should point to nodes in the original list.

For example, if there are two nodes X and Y in the original list, where X.random --> Y, then for the corresponding two nodes x and y in the copied list, x.random --> y.

Return the head of the copied linked list.

The linked list is represented in the input/output as a list of n nodes. Each node is represented as a pair of [val, random_index] where:

  • val: an integer representing Node.val
  • random_index: the index of the node (range from 0 to n-1) that the random pointer points to, or null if it does not point to any node.

Your code will only be given the head of the original linked list.

 

Example 1:

Input:

 head = [[7,null],[13,0],[11,4],[10,2],[1,0]]

Output:

 [[7,null],[13,0],[11,4],[10,2],[1,0]]

Example 2:

Input:

 head = [[1,1],[2,1]]

Output:

 [[1,1],[2,1]]

Example 3:

Input:

 head = [[3,null],[3,0],[3,null]]

Output:

 [[3,null],[3,0],[3,null]]

 

Constraints:

  • 0 <= n <= 1000
  • -104 <= Node.val <= 104
  • Node.random is null or is pointing to some node in the linked list.

This problem was taken from https://leetcode.com/problems/copy-list-with-random-pointer/

Solution

 

Brute force using tree traversal

 

/**
 * // Definition for a Node.
 * function Node(val, next, random) {
 *    this.val = val;
 *    this.next = next;
 *    this.random = random;
 * };
 */

/**
 * @param {Node} head
 * @return {Node}
 */
var copyRandomList = function(head) {


    function dfsTraverse(node, visited={}) {
        if(!node) {
            return null;
        }
        
        // if a new node is created, return it. Otherwise you will fall into circular loops
        if(node?.clone) {
            return node?.clone;    
        }
        
        var newNode = new Node(node?.val, null, null);
        node.clone = newNode;
        var next = dfsTraverse(node?.next);
        var random = dfsTraverse(node?.random);

        newNode.next = next;
        newNode.random = random;
        return newNode;
    }

    var result = dfsTraverse(head);
    return result;
};

function Node(val, next, random) {
    this.val = val;
    this.next = next;
    this.random = random;
}
;// [1,null],[2,0],[3,1]

var nodes = {};
nodes['1'] = new Node(1,null,null);
nodes['2'] = new Node(2,null,null);
nodes['3'] = new Node(3,null,null);

nodes['1'].next = nodes['2'];
nodes['1'].random = null;

nodes['2'].next = nodes['3'];
nodes['2'].random = nodes['1'];

nodes['3'].next = null;
nodes['3'].random = nodes['2'];

//console.log("root");
//console.log(nodes['7']);
var result = copyRandomList(nodes['1']);
console.log(result);

 

 

More elegant solution

 

/**
 * // Definition for a Node.
 * function Node(val, next, random) {
 *    this.val = val;
 *    this.next = next;
 *    this.random = random;
 * };
 */

/**
 * @param {Node} head
 * @return {Node}
 */
var copyRandomList = function(head) {
  let cur = head;
  const copy = new Map();

  // add all new nodes and values for now
  while (cur) {
    copy.set(cur, new Node(cur.val));
    cur = cur.next;
  }
  
  cur = head;

  // iterate again and point curent node to the newly created nodes using the key 
  while (cur) {
    copy.get(cur).next = copy.get(cur.next) || null;
    copy.get(cur).random = copy.get(cur.random) || null;
    cur = cur.next;
  }
  
  return copy.get(head);
}


function Node(val, next, random) {
    this.val = val;
    this.next = next;
    this.random = random;
};


// [1,null],[2,0],[3,1]

var nodes = {};
nodes['1'] = new Node(1,null,null);
nodes['2'] = new Node(2,null,null);
nodes['3'] = new Node(3,null,null);

nodes['1'].next = nodes['2'];
nodes['1'].random = null;

nodes['2'].next = nodes['3'];
nodes['2'].random = nodes['1'];

nodes['3'].next = null;
nodes['3'].random = nodes['2'];


var result = copyRandomList(nodes['1']);
console.log(result);

 

 

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