How can you remove a cycle from a linked list once you know the cycle's start node?

• A. Find the node just before the cycle start within the cycle and set its next to null.
• B. Set the cycle start's next to null.
• C. Set the head to null.
• D. Remove the cycle by deleting the first node inside the cycle.

Answer: (A)

Break the loop by cutting the link that closes the cycle. Once you know where the cycle starts, the node that completes the cycle is the one just before the start within the cycle—the last node in the loop. If you set that node’s next pointer to null, you terminate the cycle while keeping all nodes in their original order. The list becomes a normal linear linked list that ends at that last node.

Why this is the best approach: it preserves every node and reconnects them in a single path from head to the new end. The other options either cut off part of the list or erase the whole list, which does not correctly remove the cycle while maintaining the structure and data.