Rotate right by 2
Input
rotate_list([1,2,3,4,5], 2)
Output
[4, 5, 1, 2, 3]
Elements move two positions to the right.
Full lesson preview
Rotate a list by k positions
Rotate elements of a list to the right by k positions (negative k rotates left).
Python practice19 minLists & TuplesIntermediateLast updated March 17, 2026
Problem statement
Given a list and an integer k, return a new list where the elements have been rotated to the right by k positions. If k is negative, rotate to the left by abs(k). For example, rotating [1,2,3,4,5] by 2 yields [4,5,1,2,3]. Handle k values larger than the list length by using modulo. If the list is empty, return an empty list.
Task
Implement rotate_list(lst, k) that returns a new list rotated by k positions without mutating the original.
Examples
Input format
A list (lst) and an integer k.
Output format
A new list rotated to the right by k positions (or left if k is negative).
Constraints
Do not mutate the input list. Work in O(n) time and O(n) extra space. Handle negative and large k values correctly.
Samples
Sample 1
Input
rotate_list([1,2,3,4], -1)
Output
[2, 3, 4, 1]
Negative k rotates left by 1.