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Editorial Team
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Asked: 2026-05-27T05:04:19+00:00

In the interview question, Implement an algorithm which detects for presence of the loop..

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In the interview question, “Implement an algorithm which detects for presence of the loop.”. For example, the linked list has a loop, like:

0--->1---->2---->3---->4---->5---->6
                 ▲                 |
                 |                 ▼
                11<—-22<—-12<—-9<—-8

Using Floyd’s cycle detection, this problem can be solved by using a fast & slow pointer. So should I try comparing

a. Link’s node values, i.e. 

if (fast.data == slow.data) 
    break;

where fast and slow are of type Link

class Link
{
    int IData {get; set;}
    Link Next {get; set;}
}

OR

b. Are they pointing to same reference, i.e. if (fast == slow)

Thanks.

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    You should only be comparing the nodes themselves. After all, it’s reasonable to have a linked list with repeated data in, without it actually having a cycle.

    I would call them nodes rather than links too. A link is simply the reference from one node to the next or previous one – in particular, there’s no data associated with a link, only with a node.

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