Transform linked list to sorted array
Last updated: August 5, 2025
Quick Overview
Given a linked list of integers, write a function to transform it into a sorted array. The output should be an array containing the elements of the linked list in non-decreasing order. Ensure your solution efficiently handles the linked list traversal and sorting.
Oracle
August 5, 20252
11
3,362 solved
Given a linked list of integers, write a function to transform it into a sorted array. The output should be an array containing the elements of the linked list in non-decreasing order. Ensure your solution efficiently handles the linked list traversal and sorting.
Oracle uses this problem in the Onsite to evaluate your algorithmic thinking. They expect you to discuss multiple approaches, analyze trade-offs between them, and implement the optimal solution with clean, readable code.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Recognize the underlying problem pattern (sliding window, two pointers, BFS/DFS, etc.)
- Discuss multiple approaches and trade-offs before coding
- Implement an optimal solution with clean, production-quality code
- Handle all edge cases including boundary conditions and invalid input
- Optimize both time and space complexity with clear justification
- Test your solution systematically with well-chosen examples
Key Topics to Cover
How to Approach This
- Clarify input constraints and edge cases before writing code.
- Walk through your approach verbally and confirm with the interviewer before coding.
- Start with a brute force solution, then optimize. Mention time and space complexity.
- Test your solution with examples, including edge cases like empty input or duplicates.
- Consider common patterns: sliding window, two pointers, hash map, BFS/DFS, dynamic programming.
Possible Follow-up Questions
- What happens if the input contains duplicates?
- Can you solve this iteratively instead of recursively (or vice versa)?
- How would you parallelize this solution?
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Practice DSA ProblemsSample Answer
Problem Analysis
To transform a linked list into a sorted array, we need to traverse the linked list to extract its elements and sort them. The problem has a clear pattern of linked list traversal followed by sorting....
Approach
- Traverse the Linked List: Start from the head of the linked list and iterate through each node, appending the node values to an array. For example, if the linked list is 3 -> 1 -> 2, we will cr...
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