C.V.

Raman Global University,

Bhubaneswar, Odisha

DISCRETE MATHEMATICS AND

GRAPH THEORY
[MA203]
CASE STUDY REPORT

Optimizing Road Network Connectivity

Using Minimum Spanning Tree
Algorithms

Guided By:
Dr. Prasanta Kumar Parida
Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Prasanta Kumar

Parida, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics, for his
invaluable guidance and support throughout the process of completing the
topic "Optimizing Road Network Connectivity Using the Minimum
Spanning Tree (MST) Algorithm".

Dr. Parida’s expertise in graph theory and optimization has been

instrumental in shaping this study. His insightful discussions, constructive
feedback, and constant encouragement helped me refine my understanding
of the Minimum Spanning Tree concept and its practical applications in
real- world scenarios. I greatly appreciate the time and effort he dedicated
to clarifying complex concepts, which significantly contributed to the depth
and clarity of this work.

I am truly grateful for his mentorship and support, which have been crucial
in the successful completion of this project.

SUBMITTED BY
3rd Semester - Group-02

Name Registration no:- Branch Email

Rishi Kumar 2301020157 CS-IT [email protected]

Pratik Kumar 2301020092 COE(SOFTWARE) [email protected]

Amlan Patra 2301020010 AI & DS [email protected]

 INDEX

SL.NO TOPICS
PAGE.NO
0 INTRODUCTION 01
1
0 MATHEMATICAL 02
2 BACKGROUND
MATHEMATICAL 03
0 APPROACH
3
0 FORMULATION 04
4
0 PROBLEM STATEMENT 05
5
COMPARISION 08
0
6
0 APPLICATIONS 12
7
0 CONCLUSION 15
8
REFERENCE 16
0
9
 INTRODUCTION

This case study addresses the topic of Optimizing Road

Network Connectivity Using the Minimum Spanning Tree
(MST) Algorithm. The goal of this optimization problem is to
connect a set of towns or cities with roads in such a way that the
overall construction cost is minimized, while ensuring that all
locations are accessible. The Minimum Spanning Tree (MST)
is a key concept in graph theory used to achieve this optimal
connectivity. Specifically, Kruskal's Algorithm—a widely
recognized greedy algorithm—will be applied in thiscase study to
identifythe least-cost solution for constructing a road network that
connects multiple towns or cities.

Kruskal's algorithm is a cornerstone in graph theory, particularly

known for its role in finding the minimum spanning tree (MST) of
a connected, undirected graph. The minimum spanning tree
problem is pivotal in numerous applications ranging from network
design to data clustering. This paper aims to provide an
extensive overview of Kruskal's algorithm, including its
theoretical foundations, detailed implementation, complexities,
variations, and diverse applications.

Prim's algorithm is another greedy algorithm used to find the MST.

Unlike Kruskal’s, which starts with edges and builds the MST by
adding the lightest edges, Prim’s algorithm starts with a single
vertex and expands the MST one vertex at a time by adding the
smallest edge connecting the MST to a vertex outside it.
 MATHEMATICAL BACKGROUND
In the context of graph theory, a spanning tree of a connected,
undirected graph is a subgraph that connects all the vertices
(towns or cities) together, with the minimum number of edges, and
without forming any cycles.

 Graph Representation: A graph G=(V,E) Gonsists of a set

of vertices V and edges E, where each edge e has an
associated weight ω (e) representing the cost or length of
the road between two vertices (towns).
 Minimum Spanning Tree (MST): The MST of a graph is a
subgraph that
connects all the vertices using the fewest edges, with no
cycles, and the minimum possible sum of the edge
weights.

Formally, if the graph G=(V,E) has vertices V={v1 ,v2 ,…,vn } and edges
E={e1 ,e2 ,…,em } with weights ω (e), the MST is the subset T⊆E such
that:

1. The subgraph formed by T is connected and spans all vertices V.

2. T contains no cycles,
3. The total weight (cost) of the edges in T is minimized:

Kruskal's algorithm is a well-known method used to find the

MST in a weighted graph. It is a greedy algorithm, which works
by sorting all the edges of the graph by weight and then adding
them one by one to the MST, ensuring no cycles are formed.
 Mathematical Approach
The problem of optimizing road network connectivity is a direct
application of the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) problem in
graph theory. The relationship between the problem and the
mathematical approach can be summarized as follows:

 Vertices (Towns): The towns or cities are represented as

vertices the graph V.
 Edges (Roads): The potential roads between towns are
represented as edges of the graph E, where each edge has
a weight ω (e), corresponding to the construction cost of
that road.
 Optimization: The task is to select a subset of these
edges (roads) to form a spanning tree that connects all the
vertices (towns) with the least total cost.

By treating the road network as a graph, the problem becomes

a graph optimization problem, where the goal is to find the
MST. The MST algorithm ensures that we minimize the total
construction cost of the roads while ensuring all towns are
connected. Kruskal's algorithm, as a greedy algorithm, adds the
smallest edge at each step and ensures no cycles are formed,
making it an efficient method for solving this problem.

This problem falls under the broader category of greedy

optimization algorithms in graph theory, where we iteratively
select the best possible solution at each step, which ultimately
leads to the optimal solution for the entire problem.
 Formulation of the Problem
The problem of designing an optimal road network can be formulated
mathematically as follows:

Let G=(V,E) be a connected, undirected graph where:

 V={v1 ,v2 ,…,vn } is the set of vertices, representing the

townsorcities,
 E={e1 ,e2 ,…,em } is the set of edges, each
representing a road between two towns, with an associated
cost ω (e i) for each edge.

The objective is to find a subset of edges T⊆E that satisfies the

following conditions:

1. Spanning Tree: The subgraph formed by the edges T must be a

spanning tree, meaning it connects all vertices in V.
2. Acyclicity: The subgraph T must not contain any cycles,
ensuring there is only one path between any two towns,
3. Minimization of Costs: The total cost of constructing the roads in
T
should be minimized:

The problem is thus reduced to finding the Minimum Spanning Tree

(MST)
of the graph G.
 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Optimizing Road Network Connectivity Using the
Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) Algorithm. The problem can
be understood as follows: You are given a set of towns (vertices)
and a set of potential roads (edges) connecting them. Each
road has a construction cost, and your objective is to design a
road network that:

1. Connects all the towns (ensuring all towns are

accessible from one another),
2. Avoids unnecessary roads (no cycles should be formed to
avoid
redundancy),
3. Minimizes the total construction cost.

To solve this problem, the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST)

algorithm is applied. The MST is a connected subgraph that
includes all towns (vertices) but minimizesthe numberof
roads(edges) andthe cost (weight) of the roads. The roads are
selected in such a way that they form a tree structure, meaning
there are no cycles and each road is essential to maintain
connectivity between towns.

The Kruskal's Algorithm is a particularly effective algorithm for

finding the MST, as it follows a greedy approach. The algorithm works
by:

1. Sorting all roads (edges) by their construction cost,

2. Adding the cheapest available road to the network as long
as it does not form a cycle,
3. Continuing this process until all towns are connected and
the MST is complete.

By applying this method, we can ensure the construction of an

efficient and cost-effective road network.

Example
 MST :
NUM-TREES=7

MST : (A,D)

NUM-TREES=6
 MST : (A, D), (C, D)

NUM-TREES=5

MST : (A, D), (C, D), (B, E)

NUM-TREES=4
MST: (A, D), (C, D), (B, E), (D, E) NUM-TREES=3

MST: (A, D), (C, D), (B, E),

(D, E)

NUM-TREES=3

MST: (A, D), (C, D),

(B, E), (D, E), (C, F)

NUM-TREES=2
 MST: (A, D), (C, D),

(B, E), (D, E), (C, F)

NUM-TREES=2

MST: (A, D), (C, D), (B, E), (D, E),

(C, F), (E, G)

NUM-TREES=1
Comparison of Kruskal’s and Prim’s Algorithm:
Both Kruskal’s Algorithm and Prim’s Algorithm produce the
same minimum spanning tree (MST) in this example, with a
total weight of 10. However, their approaches differ:

 Kruskal’s Algorithm:
o Operates by sorting all the edges initially.
o Processes edges in increasing order of weight.
o Is more suitable for sparse graphs where there are
fewer edges relative to the number of vertices.
 Prim’s Algorithm:
o Starts with a single vertexand growsthe MST one edge at a time.
o Continuously adds the smallest edge that connects
the MST to an unvisited vertex.
o Tends to be more efficient for dense graphs, where
there are many edges between vertices.

Kruskal's Algorithm:

Kruskal's algorithm is a greedy algorithm that builds the MST

by adding edges one by one in increasing order of weight,
making sure that no cycles are formed. Here’s a step-by-step
explanation of how Kruskal's algorithm works in the given
example:

Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Sort the edges by weight:

2. Kruskal’s algorithm begins by sorting all the edges of the

graph in non- decreasing order of their weights. In our case,
the edges sorted by weight are:

B−C (weight = 2)
A−C (weight = 3)
a.

A−B (weight = 4)
b.

B−D (weight = 5)
c.

C−E (weight = 6)
d.
e.
 f. C−D (weight = 7)
g. D−E (weight = 8)
3. Start adding edges:

We begin adding the smallest edges to the MST, ensuring that we don’t form
any cycles.

a. Add B−C (weight = 2):

Initially, all the vertices are disconnected, so adding the edge B−C (weight
2)is valid. This edge connects B and C, and no cycle is formed.

b. Add A−C (weight = 3):

Now, we add the edge A−C (weight 3), which connects A and C.
Since A and C are not yet in the same connected component,
adding this edge does not form a cycle.

c. Skip A−B (weight = 4):

At this point, the edge A−B would connect A and B, but it would form a

A−B−C−A. Therefore, we skip this edge.

cycle

d. Add B−D (weight = 5):

4. Next, we add B−D (weight 5) as it connects B and D without
forming any cycle. At this stage, all vertices A,B,C,D are
connected, so we stop here.
5. Resulting MST:

The resulting MST consists of the edges:

a. B−C (weight = 2)
b. A−C (weight = 3)
c. B−D (weight = 5)

The total weight of the MST is. 2+3+5=10.

Key Points in Kruskal’s Algorithm:

 Kruskal's algorithm is very effective for sparse graphs,

where the number of edges is much smaller than the
number of vertices.
  The algorithm sorts all edges, which can be
computationally expensive in large graphs, but it is
straightforward in terms of implementation.
 The cycle check ensures the tree remains acyclic and
forms a valid spanning tree.

Prim's Algorithm:

Prim’s algorithm is another greedy algorithm used to find the

MST. Unlike Kruskal’s algorithm, which adds edges based on
weight, Prim’s algorithm starts with a single vertex and
grows the MST by adding the smallest edge that connects the
MST to a new vertex. Here's the step-by-step explanation for Prim's
algorithm applied to the same graph:

Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Start at a random vertex:

We begin by choosing an arbitrary vertexto start the MST. Let’sstart at

A.
vertex

a. Initial MST: {A}

b. The edges connecting vertex A to other vertices are:
i. A−B (weight = 4)
ii. A−C (weight = 3)
2. Add the smallest edge:

A−C (weight = 3) is the smallest edge, so we add it to the MST.

We select the smallest edge that connects the MST to a new vertex. Here,

a. Updated MST: {A,C}

b. The new edges connecting the MST to other vertices are:
i. C−B (weight = 2)

iii. C−E (weight = 6)

ii. C−D (weight = 7)

3. Add the smallest edge:

From the available edges, the smallest one is C−B (weight = 2), so we
add
it to the MST.
 a. Updated MST: {A,B,C}

i. B−D (weight = 5)
b. The new edges connecting the MST to other vertices are:

ii. B−E (weight = 8)

4. Add the smallest edge:

The smallest edge now is B−D (weight = 5), so we add it to the MST.

a. Updated MST: {A,B,C,D}

b. The only remaining edge is D−E (weight = 8).
5. Add the last edge:

The final edge is D−E (weight = 8), which connects the last remaining

E to the MST.
vertex

a. Final MST: {A,B,C,D,E}

6. Resulting MST:

The resulting MST consists of the edges:

b. C−B (weight = 2)
a. A−C (weight = 3)

c. B−D (weight = 5)

The total weight of the MST is 3+2+5=10.

 APPLICATIONS
The Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) algorithm is widely
applicable across various fields where network optimization is
required. Some of the key application areas include:

1. Urban Planning and Transportation Networks:

a. MST algorithms are used to design efficient road
networks, railways, and even airline routes. The goal is
to minimize the overall construction costs while
ensuring that all towns, cities, or destinations are
connected. This is critical in urban planning, where
minimizing land usage and road infrastructure costs

is essential.

2. Telecommunications Networks:
a. MSTs can be used to design telecommunications
infrastructure, such as fiber optic networks or
telephone lines. The problem is similar to that of
designing a road network: you want to connect multiple
locations with minimal cable length and cost.
3. Electrical Power Grid Design:
a. In the design of electrical power grids, MST algorithms
can be used to minimize the total wiring cost while
ensuring that all power stations and customers are
connected. This is especially important in remote
areas where cost efficiency in grid construction is
crucial.

4. Computer Networks:
a. MST algorithms can help design optimal computer
networks, particularly in data centre connectivity,
where the goal is to minimize the cost of laying down
cables between servers while ensuring robust and fast
communication.
 5. Water, Gas, and Other Utilities:
a. For laying waterpipes, gas pipelines, orany otherutility
network, MST algorithms are used to minimize
construction costs while ensuring complete service
coverage. This approach is efficient for infrastructure
that spans large geographical areas.

By applying MST algorithms in these domains, organizations

can reduce the costs associated with building infrastructure while
maintaining the desired connectivity and efficiency.
 Conclusion
This case study demonstrates how the Minimum Spanning
Tree (MST) algorithm, specifically Kruskal's Algorithm, can
be used to optimize road network connectivity by minimizing
construction costs while ensuring full connectivity between towns
or cities. The problem is framed as a graph theory problem,
where towns are represented as vertices and roads as weighted
edges. By using a greedy approach, Kruskal's algorithm
efficiently identifies the least-cost subset of roads needed to
connect all towns in a spanning tree structure.

The application of MST algorithms is not limited to road

networks but extends to a wide range of network design
problems in fields such as telecommunications, electrical grids,
computer networking, and utilities. The ability to design cost-
effective infrastructure systems using graph- based
optimization techniques like MST is a powerful tool for engineers
and planners across many industries.

Through this case study, we see that MST algorithms are not only
efficient but also crucial in real-world applications that require
both optimal resource allocation and connectivity. The principles
of graph theory and optimization continue to play a pivotal role
in modern infrastructure development, ensuring sustainable
growth and efficient system design.
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