Understanding insertion at a given distance


Just as inserting before a given node is accomplished by piggybacking on the search algorithm, insertion at a given distance X can be achieved by piggybacking on the length finding algorithm. Both search and finding length rely on the traversal algorithm. Let's examine all the cases that we need to consider.

1. If the list is empty and X > 0

Attempting to insert a node at a position greater than 0 in an empty list is an invalid operation. In an empty list, no nodes are present, so the only valid position for insertion would be at position 0, making the new node the head of the list. However, when X is greater than 0, no corresponding position is available for insertion because the list lacks any elements. Therefore, we will return the existing head.

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