// C++ program to detect and remove loop

using namespace std;
 
struct Node
{
    int key;
    struct Node *next;
};
 
Node *newNode(int key)   //Function to create a node
{
    Node *temp = new Node;
    temp->key = key;
    temp->next = NULL;
    return temp;
}
 
void printList(Node *head)  //Function to print NodeList
{
    while (head != NULL)
    {
        cout << head->key << " ";
        head = head->next;
    }
    cout << endl;
}
 
void detectAndRemoveLoop(Node *head)     //Detecting and Removing Loop in LinkedList
{
    Node *slow = head;
    Node *fast = head->next;
 
    while (fast && fast->next)       //Searching for a loop
    {
        if (slow == fast)
            break;
        slow = slow->next;
        fast = fast->next->next;
    }
 
    if (slow == fast)    //Loop exist
    {
        slow = head;
        while (slow != fast->next)
        {
            slow = slow->next;
            fast = fast->next;
        }
 
        fast->next = NULL;    //Removing Loop
    }
}
 
int main()
{
    Node *head = newNode(50);
    head->next = newNode(20);
    head->next->next = newNode(15);
    head->next->next->next = newNode(4);
    head->next->next->next->next = newNode(10);
 
    /* Create a loop for testing */
    head->next->next->next->next->next = head->next->next;
 
    detectAndRemoveLoop(head);
 
    printf("Linked List after removing loop \n");
    printList(head);
 
    return 0;
}

Output:

Linked List after removing loop 
50 20 15 4 10 

Explanation:

Two pointers slow and fast are used to detect loop. Slow contain value of head while fast contain value of head->next. The slow pointer is incremented by one i.e slow->next and fast pointer by two i.e fast->next->next inside while loop and  if loop exist the slow pointer equals fast pointer, the while loop breaks which checks detection of loop. If loop does not exist then in while fast->next is NULL and while loop ends. For removing loop fast->next should be equal to NULL.