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15 views5 pages

Graphs

Uploaded by

pranshusahu862
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Graphs in Data Structures

1. Introduction to Graphs
A graph is a fundamental data structure in computer science, consisting of:
• Vertices (or Nodes): Represent entities.
• Edges: Represent the relationships between vertices.
Graphs are used to model networks, relationships, and interactions in various fields, such as social
networks, transportation systems, and the internet.

Formal Definition
A graph G is defined as: G=(V,E) Where:
• V is the set of vertices.
• E is the set of edges, represented as pairs (u,v) where u,v∈V.

2. Types of Graphs
Graphs can be classified based on their properties:

2.1 Directed and Undirected Graphs


• Directed Graph (Digraph): Edges have a direction, represented as (u→v).
• Undirected Graph: Edges have no direction, represented as (u,v).

2.2 Weighted and Unweighted Graphs


• Weighted Graph: Edges have weights or costs associated with them.
• Unweighted Graph: All edges have the same weight (or no weight).

2.3 Special Types of Graphs


1. Complete Graph: Every pair of vertices is connected by an edge.
2. Connected Graph: There is a path between every pair of vertices.
3. Disconnected Graph: At least one pair of vertices is not connected.
4. Cyclic Graph: Contains at least one cycle.
5. Acyclic Graph: Contains no cycles.
6. Bipartite Graph: Vertices can be divided into two disjoint sets, and edges connect vertices
from different sets.

2.4 Trees
A tree is a special type of graph that is connected and acyclic.
3. Graph Representation
Graphs can be represented in memory using different methods:

3.1 Adjacency Matrix


A 2D matrix where the element at [i][j] indicates the presence (and possibly weight) of an edge
between vertices i and j.
Advantages:
• Simple to implement.
• Efficient for dense graphs.
Disadvantages:
• Consumes more memory for sparse graphs.

3.2 Adjacency List


Each vertex has a list of adjacent vertices (or edges).
Advantages:
• Space-efficient for sparse graphs.
• Easier to iterate over neighbors.
Disadvantages:
• More complex to implement.

3.3 Edge List


A list of all edges, each represented as a pair (or triplet for weighted graphs).
Advantages:
• Simple for graph algorithms like Kruskal's MST.
• Compact representation.

4. Graph Traversal
Graph traversal is the process of visiting all vertices in a graph.

4.1 Depth-First Search (DFS)


• Explores as far as possible along each branch before backtracking.
• Implemented using recursion or a stack.
Algorithm:
1. Start at the root (or any arbitrary node).
2. Visit and mark the current node.
3. Recursively visit unvisited neighbors.
Example Code (Python):
python
Copy code
def dfs(graph, node, visited):
if node not in visited:
print(node, end=" ")
visited.add(node)
for neighbor in graph[node]:
dfs(graph, neighbor, visited)

4.2 Breadth-First Search (BFS)


• Explores all neighbors at the current depth before moving to the next depth level.
• Implemented using a queue.
Algorithm:
1. Start at the root (or any arbitrary node).
2. Enqueue the starting node.
3. Dequeue a node, visit it, and enqueue its unvisited neighbors.
Example Code (Python):
python
Copy code
from collections import deque

def bfs(graph, start):


visited = set()
queue = deque([start])
while queue:
node = queue.popleft()
if node not in visited:
print(node, end=" ")
visited.add(node)
queue.extend(graph[node])

5. Graph Algorithms
5.1 Shortest Path Algorithms
1. Dijkstra's Algorithm:
• Finds the shortest path from a source to all other vertices in a weighted graph.
• Uses a priority queue.
2. Bellman-Ford Algorithm:
• Handles graphs with negative weights.
• Computes shortest paths by relaxing edges repeatedly.
3. Floyd-Warshall Algorithm:
• Finds shortest paths between all pairs of vertices.

5.2 Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) Algorithms


1. Kruskal's Algorithm:
• Greedy approach.
• Adds edges in ascending order of weights while avoiding cycles.
2. Prim's Algorithm:
• Greedy approach.
• Grows the MST by adding the smallest edge connecting a vertex in the tree to a
vertex outside it.

5.3 Topological Sorting


• Used for Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs).
• Orders vertices such that for every directed edge u→v, u appears before v.

6. Applications of Graphs
1. Social Networks: Modeling connections between individuals.
2. Transportation Networks: Optimizing routes in road and flight networks.
3. Web Graphs: Representing links between web pages.
4. Dependency Graphs: Scheduling tasks based on dependencies.
5. Network Flow: Solving problems like maximum flow in networks.

7. Complexity Analysis
Algorithm Time Complexity Space Complexity
DFS O(V+E) O(V)
BFS O(V+E) O(V)
Dijkstra’s Algorithm O(V2) or O((V+E)logV) (with a priority queue) O(V)
Kruskal’s Algorithm O(ElogE) O(V+E)
Prim’s Algorithm O(V2) or O((V+E)logV) O(V)

8. Real-World Example
Routing Algorithms
Graph-based routing algorithms like Dijkstra's are used in GPS navigation systems to find the
shortest path between two locations.

PageRank Algorithm
Google's PageRank algorithm models the web as a graph where pages are vertices, and hyperlinks
are directed edges.

9. Challenges in Graph Theory


1. Graph Coloring: Assigning colors to vertices such that no two adjacent vertices share the
same color.
2. Hamiltonian and Eulerian Paths: Finding paths that visit every vertex or edge exactly
once.
3. Planarity Testing: Determining if a graph can be drawn on a plane without edge crossings.

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