programming-examples/c++/Combinational_Problems/C++ Program to Implement Merge Sort using Linked List.cpp

/*
 * C++ Program to Implement Merge Sort using Linked List
 */
#include <iostream>
#include <cstdio>
#include <cstdlib>
using namespace std;
/*
 * Node Declaration
 */
struct node
{
    int data;
    struct node* next;
};


struct node* SortedMerge(node* a, node* b);
void FrontBackSplit(node* source, node** frontRef, node** backRef);

/* sorts the linked list by changing next pointers (not data) */
void MergeSort(struct node** headRef)
{
    node* head = *headRef;
    node* a;
    node* b;
    if ((head == NULL) || (head->next == NULL))
        {
            return;
        }
    FrontBackSplit(head, &a, &b);
    MergeSort(&a);
    MergeSort(&b);
    *headRef = SortedMerge(a, b);
}
/* merge the sorted linked lists */
node* SortedMerge(struct node* a, struct node* b)
{
    node* result = NULL;
    if (a == NULL)
        return b;
    else if (b==NULL)
        return a;
    if (a->data <= b->data)
        {
            result = a;
            result->next = SortedMerge(a->next, b);
        }
    else
        {
            result = b;
            result->next = SortedMerge(a, b->next);
        }
    return result;
}

/* Split the nodes of the given list into front and back halves*/
void FrontBackSplit(node* source, node** frontRef, node** backRef)
{
    node* fast;
    node* slow;
    if (source==NULL || source->next==NULL)
        {
            *frontRef = source;
            *backRef = NULL;
        }
    else
        {
            slow = source;
            fast = source->next;
            while (fast != NULL)
                {
                    fast = fast->next;
                    if (fast != NULL)
                        {
                            slow = slow->next;
                            fast = fast->next;
                        }
                }
            *frontRef = source;
            *backRef = slow->next;
            slow->next = NULL;
        }
}

/* print nodes in a given linked list */
void printList(node *node)
{
    while (node != NULL)
        {
            cout<<node->data<<endl;
            node = node->next;
        }
}

/* insert a node at the beginging of the linked list */
void push(node** head_ref, int new_data)
{
    node *new_node = new node;
    new_node->data = new_data;
    new_node->next = (*head_ref);
    (*head_ref)    = new_node;
}
/* Main */
int main()
{
    node* res = NULL;
    node* a = NULL;
    push(&a, 15);
    push(&a, 10);
    push(&a, 5);
    push(&a, 20);
    push(&a, 3);
    push(&a, 2);
    MergeSort(&a);
    cout<<"\n Sorted Linked List is: \n";
    printList(a);
    return 0;
}

/*
Sorted Linked List is:
2
3
5
10
15
20