Iteration in Linked List

Question

We have a Linked List with 5 nodes

1 2 3 4 5

previous = pointing to 2
Head = pointing to 3

And if

prev.next=head.next;
head=head.next;

So i my question is if head is pointing to 3 and just deleted 3 by doing prev.next=head.next; and the new linked list will be

1 2 4 5

and now i do head=head.next; so how it will be going to 4 when i already delete the node with value 3 which was being pointed by head?

• WJS: It is called head for a reason. You should not be changing its value. Use a different reference. Call it current or something meaningful. Otherwise, how are you going to find the beginning of the list?

Answer 1

prev.next = head.next; did not delete the node 3 from memory.

head is still pointing to 3, and head.next is still pointing to 4.

so writing head = head.next is fine, you just change the value head is pointing to.

• Ry_zen: So will it remain in the memory after head points to the next element or get removed after it ??
• Lior Elbaz: I believe after there are no more pointers to that object in memory - Java's garbage collector deletes it from memory.