Validate linked list balanced
Last updated: September 17, 2025
Quick Overview
Given a singly linked list, write a function to determine if the list is balanced. A linked list is considered balanced if the number of nodes in the first half is equal to or one more than the number of nodes in the second half. The function should return a boolean value: true if the linked list is balanced, and false otherwise.
Bloomberg
September 17, 2025127
13
3,093 solved
Given a singly linked list, write a function to determine if the list is balanced. A linked list is considered balanced if the number of nodes in the first half is equal to or one more than the number of nodes in the second half. The function should return a boolean value: true if the linked list is balanced, and false otherwise.
Coding interviews at Bloomberg focus on problem-solving approach as much as the final solution. The interviewer wants to see you break down the problem, consider edge cases, and optimize iteratively. Communication throughout the process is key.
What the Interviewer Expects
- Identify the correct data structure and algorithm for the problem
- Write clean, bug-free code with proper variable naming
- Analyze time and space complexity correctly
- Handle basic edge cases (empty input, single element)
- Communicate your thought process while coding
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
- Can you solve this in a single pass?
- How would you test this solution thoroughly?
- How would you parallelize this solution?
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Problem Analysis
To determine if a singly linked list is balanced, we need to compare the number of nodes in the two halves of the list. A balanced linked list has either the same number of nodes in the first half and...
Approach
- Initialize two pointers:
slowandfast. Both start at the head of the list. - Traverse the list using the pointers:
- Move
slowby one step andfastby two steps untilfastreaches th...
- Move
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