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A2Z Sheet

153. Search in Linked List

Medium
Step 6: Learn LinkedList [Single LL, Double LL, Medium, Hard Problems]›Learn 1D LinkedList

Search in Linked List

MediumFunction: searchInLinkedList()
ASCI Mission Breakdown • Simple as Hell
"Master Search in Linked List: Take `nums` (number[]) and `target` (number), execute an optimal learn 1d linkedlist strategy, and return number with clean edge-case handling."
Real-World Metaphor:

Think of Search in Linked List as an everyday real-world challenge: you receive input data, inspect its elements in sequence without making unnecessary duplicate passes, and transform the collection to reach the exact target without wasting computer memory.

Interactive Visual WalkthroughLINKED-LIST
Step 1 / 3
StatusInitialized
ModeScanning
Evaluating

1. Initialize State for Search in Linked List

Load inputs and initialize algorithmic registers.

How to Think About This (Mental Model)

  1. Unpack the problem parameters (`nums` (number[]) and `target` (number)) and clarify what is given vs what must be returned.
  2. Identify the optimal data structure or pattern (e.g. pointers, hash map, or stack) to avoid redundant recalculations.
  3. Walk through state transitions, handle edge cases (empty collections, single items, negative numbers), and return the verified result.

Given a sorted array of integers `nums` and an integer `target`, find the index or answer corresponding to **Search in Linked List**. Your solution must achieve logarithmic runtime complexity `O(log N)`.

Examples

Example 1
Input: nums = [1,3,5,6], target = 5
Output: 2
Explanation: 5 is found at index 2.
Example 2
Input: nums = [1,3,5,6], target = 2
Output: -1
Explanation: 2 is not present in the array.

Constraints

  • 1 <= nums.length <= 10^5
  • -10^9 <= nums[i], target <= 10^9
Topic Tags:
Learn LinkedList [Single LL, Double LL, Medium, Hard Problems]Learn 1D LinkedListsearchInLinkedList
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