Python Program to Check if Singly Linked List is Palindrome

This is a Python program to check whether a singly linked list is a palindrome.

Problem Description

The program creates a linked list using data items input from the user and determines whether it is a palindrome.

Problem Solution

1. Create a class Node with instance variables data and next.
2. Create a class LinkedList with instance variables head and last_node.
3. The variable head points to the first element in the linked list while last_node points to the last.
4. Define methods append and display inside the class LinkedList to append data and display the linked list respectively.
5. Define method get_prev_node which takes a reference node as argument and returns the node before it.
6. Define a function is_palindrome which returns True if the linked list passed to it is a palindrome.
7. The function is_palindrome iterates through the linked list from the start and the last node towards the middle to check if the list is a palindrome.
8. Create an instance of LinkedList, append data to it and determine whether it is a palindrome.

Program/Source Code

Here is the source code of a Python program to check whether a singly linked list is a palindrome.

class Node:
    def __init__(self, data):
       self.data = data
       self.next = None
 
 
class LinkedList:
    def __init__(self):
        self.head = None
        self.last_node = None
 
    def append(self, data):
        if self.last_node is None:
            self.head = Node(data)
            self.last_node = self.head
        else:
            self.last_node.next = Node(data)
            self.last_node = self.last_node.next
 
    def get_prev_node(self, ref_node):
        current = self.head
        while (current and current.next != ref_node):
            current = current.next
        return current
 
 
def is_palindrome(llist):
    start = llist.head
    end = llist.last_node
    while (start != end and end.next != start):
        if start.data != end.data:
            return False
        start = start.next
        end = llist.get_prev_node(end)
    return True
 
 
a_llist = LinkedList()
 
data_list = input('Please enter the elements in the linked list: ').split()
for data in data_list:
    a_llist.append(int(data))
 
if is_palindrome(a_llist):
    print('The linked list is palindromic.')
else:
    print('The linked list is not palindromic.')
Program Explanation

1. An instance of LinkedList is created.
2. The user is prompted to enter the data items for the list.
3. The function is_palindrome is called with the list as argument to determine whether it is a palindrome.
4. The result is then displayed.

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Runtime Test Cases
Case 1:
Please enter the elements in the linked list: 7 8 1 8 7
The linked lists is palindromic.
 
Case 2:
Please enter the elements in the linked list: 1 2 3 3 2 1
The linked list is palindromic.
 
Case 3:
Please enter the elements in the linked list: 1 4 5 4 5 1
The linked list is not palindromic.

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