ListNode is a simple data structure commonly used to create linked lists in JavaScript. A linked list is a linear data structure where each element (node) is a separate object. Each node consists of two main parts: the data and a reference (or link) to the next node in the sequence.
In the context of this problem, ListNode represents a node in a singly-linked list. Each ListNode object has two properties:
val: Represents the value stored in the node.
next: Represents a reference to the next node in the linked list. It’s initialized to null by default.
Here’s the definition of ListNode used in the addTwoNumbers function:
this.val = (val === undefined ? 0 : val); // Value of the node
this.next = (next === undefined ? null : next); // Reference to the next node
}
Example:
Let’s say you want to create a linked list with nodes containing values [2, 4, 3]. You can do it like this:
const node2 = new ListNode(4); // Node with value 4 and next pointing to null
const node3 = new ListNode(3); // Node with value 3 and next pointing to null
// Link the nodes together to form a linked list: 2 -> 4 -> 3
node1.next = node2;
node2.next = node3;
// Now, node1 represents the head of the linked list
In the addTwoNumbers function, you’ll often see linked lists represented and manipulated using these ListNode objects. They provide a straightforward way to construct and traverse linked lists, making it easier to solve problems that involve linked list manipulation.
Disclaimer: This article was created with the help of AI.
