In a Singly Linked List, what does the last node’s next pointer point to?

Java MCQ: In a Singly Linked List, what does the last node’s next pointer point to?

Answer:

Explanation:

In a Singly Linked List, the last node’s next pointer points to null, indicating the end of the list. The null pointer serves as a terminator, signaling that there are no more nodes to traverse. This is a key characteristic of a singly linked list, where each node contains a reference to the next node in the sequence, and the list is linear, with a defined start and end.

Here’s an example demonstrating the last node pointing to null in a singly linked list:

class Node {
    int data;
    Node next;

    Node(int data) {
        this.data = data;
        this.next = null;
    }
}

class SinglyLinkedList {
    Node head;

    public void add(int data) {
        Node newNode = new Node(data);
        if (head == null) {
            head = newNode;
        } else {
            Node current = head;
            while (current.next != null) {
                current = current.next;
            }
            current.next = newNode;
        }
    }
}

In this example, each node’s next pointer is initialized to null, and when a new node is added, the last node’s next pointer is updated to point to the new node. The last node in the list retains its null pointer, indicating that it is the end of the list.

Understanding the role of the null pointer in singly linked lists is crucial for managing linked list operations, such as traversal, insertion, and deletion. It helps prevent errors like accessing non-existent nodes and ensures the integrity of the list structure.

Reference links:

https://www.javaguides.net/p/java-linkedlist-tutorial.html