Programming Forums - avl rotations...i lost my mommy!!!

in my avl tree, i'm losing the connection to the parent when doing rotations.

for example: in a left roation on this tree:

.....6
..../ \
...5 7
........\
.........8
..........\
..........10

i'm getting back:

...6
../ \
.5 7

here is the code for insert, the call is made withthe head pointer and then a value. note a bunch of ****** right before leftRotation is called.

template <class T>

typename avl<T>::node * avl<T>::insert(node * p, T key)

{

        node * looker;



        //when we hit a NULL (bottom of tree

        if(p == NULL)

        {

                //make a new node and set its shit up

                node * temp = new node;

                temp->left = NULL;

                temp->right = NULL;

                temp->key = key;

                temp->skew = 0;

                return temp;

        }



        //if the new key is less than the one we're looking at

        //we go to the left

        if(key < p->key)

        {

                p->left = insert(p->left, key);

                --(p->skew);

                if(p->skew == 0) throw "";

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

                looker = p->left;

                if(p->skew == -2 && looker != NULL && looker->skew == -1)

                {

                        p = rightRotation(p);

                        throw "";

                }

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

                if(p->skew == -2 && looker != NULL && looker->skew == 1)

                {

                        p->left = leftRotation(p->left);

                        p = rightRotation(p);

                        throw "";

                }

        }

        //otherwise if it's greater than or equal to the current one

        //we go to the right

        else

        {

                p->right = insert(p->right, key);

                ++(p->skew);

                if(p->skew == 0) throw "";

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

                looker = p->right;

                if(p->skew == 2 && looker->skew == 1)

                {//********************************************

//*****************************************************

//**************************************************

//************************************************

                        p = leftRotation(p);

                        throw "";

                }

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

                if(p->skew == 2 && looker != NULL && looker->skew == -1)

                {

                        p->right = rightRotation(p->right);

                        p = leftRotation(p);

                        throw "";

                }

        }

        //eventually return

        return p;

}

here is the code for leftRotation()

template <class T>

typename avl<T>::node * avl<T>::leftRotation(node * p)

{

        node * temp1, * temp2, * temp3;



        temp1 = p;

        temp2 = temp1->right;

        if(head == temp1) head = temp2;

        temp3 = temp2->left;

        temp2->left = temp1;

        temp1->right = temp3;

        return temp2;

}

ask for any other relevant code...head is node * to the root element, in this case 6.