You are given a list of numbers…When you reach the end of the list you will come back to the beginning of the list (a circular list). Write the most efficient algorithm to find the minimum # in this list. Find any given # in the list. The numbers in the list are always increasing but you don't know where the circular list begins, ie: 38, 40, 55, 89, 6, 13, 20, 23, 36.
Here's our favorite answer, from reader "dude": Create temporary pointer and start from the root. (Most of the time circular lists have a front and back pointers.) Check if front is larger or if back is larger. If front is larger then you know you are at the end of the list and at the front of the list. If front is larger then traverse the opposite direction and compare numbers. If there is no root or a pointer pointing to any part of the list then your data is lost in memory. Job: Quantitative Compensation Analyst