How to Access Elements in a Linked List?

You can access elements in a linked list by starting at the head of the list and following the pointers until you reach the desired element.

Traversing a Linked List

1. Start at the head: The head pointer points to the first node in the list.
2. Follow the next pointer: Each node contains a pointer to the next node in the list.
3. Repeat until you reach the desired element: Continue following the next pointers until you reach the node containing the element you want.

Example

Let's say we have a linked list with the following nodes:

• Node 1: Value = 10, Next Pointer = Node 2
• Node 2: Value = 20, Next Pointer = Node 3
• Node 3: Value = 30, Next Pointer = NULL

To access the element with value 20, you would:

1. Start at the head: The head pointer points to Node 1.
2. Follow the next pointer: The next pointer in Node 1 points to Node 2.
3. Access the value: Node 2 contains the value 20.

Accessing Elements by Index

You can also access elements by their index in the list:

1. Start at the head: The head pointer points to the first node in the list.
2. Iterate through the list: Follow the next pointers until you reach the node at the desired index.
3. Access the value: The node at the desired index contains the value you want.

Practical Insights

• Linked lists are efficient for inserting and deleting elements at any position.
• Accessing elements by index can be slow, especially for large lists.
• Linked lists are useful for implementing stacks, queues, and other data structures.