[algorithm] What's the fastest algorithm for sorting a linked list?

The question is LeetCode #148, and there are plenty of solutions offered in all major languages. Mine is as follows, but I'm wondering about the time complexity. In order to find the middle element, we traverse the complete list each time. First time n elements are iterated over, second time 2 * n/2 elements are iterated over, so on and so forth. It seems to be O(n^2) time.

def sort(linked_list: LinkedList[int]) -> LinkedList[int]:
    # Return n // 2 element
    def middle(head: LinkedList[int]) -> LinkedList[int]:
        if not head or not head.next:
            return head
        slow = head
        fast = head.next

        while fast and fast.next:
            slow = slow.next
            fast = fast.next.next

        return slow

    def merge(head1: LinkedList[int], head2: LinkedList[int]) -> LinkedList[int]:
        p1 = head1
        p2 = head2
        prev = head = None

        while p1 and p2:
            smaller = p1 if p1.val < p2.val else p2
            if not head:
                head = smaller
            if prev:
                prev.next = smaller
            prev = smaller

            if smaller == p1:
                p1 = p1.next
            else:
                p2 = p2.next

        if prev:
            prev.next = p1 or p2
        else:
            head = p1 or p2

        return head

    def merge_sort(head: LinkedList[int]) -> LinkedList[int]:
        if head and head.next:
            mid = middle(head)
            mid_next = mid.next
            # Makes it easier to stop
            mid.next = None

            return merge(merge_sort(head), merge_sort(mid_next))
        else:
            return head

    return merge_sort(linked_list)

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