C++ Truths

Defining a node of a linked-list using std::pair sounds as simple as drinking a Starbucks's white chocolate mocha. But it really isn't. Give it a try! The constraint is to use std::pair's first or second as a pointer to the structure itself, like in any linked-list's node. As far as I know, it is impossible unless you resort to ugly casts from void pointers. The problem is actually quite well known and gives rise to something known as infinite regress , where the problem you want to solve reappears in the solution to the problem. typedef std::pair<int, /* Pointer to this pair!! */ > Node; The closest thing I could come up with is something like the one below. struct Node : std::pair <int, Node *> {}; Node n; n.second = &n; // A cyclic linked-list.