DISCRETE STRUCTURES

Lecture # 21
Spanning Trees

Summiya Alam
 SPANNING TREES

• Spanning Trees: A subgraph T of a undirected graph G = (V , E) is a spanning

tree of G if it is a tree and contains every vertex of G.
 WEIGHTED GRAPHS

Weighted Graphs: A weighted graph is a graph, in which each edge has a weight
(some real number).
Weight of a Graph: The sum of the weights of all edges.
WEIGHTED GRAPHS
 MINIMUM SPANNING TREES

• A Minimum Spanning Tree in an undirected connected weighted graph is a

spanning tree of minimum weight (among all spanning trees).
MINIMUM SPANNING TREES
SPANNING TREES
SPANNING TREES
SPANNING TREES
SPANNING TREES
SPANNING TREES
SPANNING TREES
SPANNING TREES
MINIMUM SPANNING TREE
 MINIMUM SPANNING TREES

• Remark: The minimum spanning tree may not be unique. However, if the
weights of all the edges are pairwise distinct, it is indeed unique
MINIMUM CONNECTOR ALGORITHMS

Prim’s algorithm

1. Select any vertex

2. Select the shortest edge

connected to that vertex

3. Select the shortest edge

connected to any vertex already
connected

4. Repeat step 3 until all vertices

have been connected
PRIM’S ALGORITHM
PRIM’S ALGORITHM
PRIM’S ALGORITHM
PRIM’S ALGORITHM
PRIM’S ALGORITHM
PRIM’S ALGORITHM
PRIM’S ALGORITHM
PRIM’S ALGORITHM
MINIMUM CONNECTOR
ALGORITHMS

Kruskal’s algorithm

1. Select the shortest edge in a

network

2. Select the next shortest edge

which does not create a cycle

3. Repeat step 2 until all vertices

have been connected
 KRUSKAL’S ALGORITHM: TREE
CONSTRUCTION

{A,B} 1 E
E 6
7 {D,F} 2 6
5
A D {B,C} 4 A 5
D
1 8 5
2 {A,D} 5 1 2
B C {C,D} 5
4 F B 4 C F
{E,D} 6
{A,E} 7
{B,D} 8
 EXAMPLE 2

• A cable company want to connect five villages to their network which currently
extends to the market town of Avonford. What is the minimum length of cable
needed?
 EXAMPLE 2

Brinlei 5 Cornwel
gh l
3
6 4
8
8
Avonfor Fingle Donster
d 7 y
5
4 2

Edan
 EXAMPLE 2

• We model the situation as a network, then the problem is to

find the minimum connector for the network

B 5 C
3
6 4
8
8
A F D
7
5
4 2
E
 KRUSKAL’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C List the edges in order of size:

3 ED 2
6 4
8 AB 3
AE 4
8 CD 4
A F D BC 5
7
EF 5
5 CF 6
4 2 AF 7
BF 8
CF 8
E
 KRUSKAL’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select the shortest

edge in the network
3
6 4
8 ED 2

8
A F D
7
5
4 2

E
 KRUSKAL’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select the next shortest

edge which does not
3 create a cycle
6 4
8
ED 2
8 AB 3
A F D
7
5
4 2

E
 KRUSKAL’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select the next shortest

edge which does not
3 create a cycle
6 4
8
ED 2
8 AB 3
A F D
7 CD 4 (or AE 4)
5
4 2

E
 KRUSKAL’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select the next shortest

edge which does not
3 create a cycle
6 4
8
ED 2
8 AB 3
A F D
7 CD 4
AE 4
5
4 2

E
 KRUSKAL’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select the next shortest

edge which does not
3 create a cycle
6 4
8
ED 2
8 AB 3
A F D
7 CD 4
AE 4
5 BC 5 – forms a cycle
4 2 EF 5

E
 KRUSKAL’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C All vertices have been

connected.
3
6 4
8 The solution is
8 ED 2
A F D
7 AB 3
CD 4
5 AE 4
4 2 EF 5

E
Total weight of tree: 18
 PRIM’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select any vertex

3 A
6 4
8
Select the shortest edge
8 connected to that vertex
A F D
7
AB 3
5
4 2

E
 PRIM’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select the shortest

edge connected to
3 any vertex already
6 4
8 connected.
8 AE 4
A F D
7
5
4 2

E
 PRIM’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select the shortest

edge connected to
3 any vertex already
6 4
8 connected.
8 ED 2
A F D
7
5
4 2

E
 PRIM’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select the shortest

edge connected to
3 any vertex already
6 4
8 connected.
8 DC 4
A F D
7
5
4 2

E
 PRIM’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C Select the shortest

edge connected to
3 any vertex already
6 4
8 connected.
8 EF 5
A F D
7
5
4 2

E
 PRIM’S ALGORITHM

B 5 C All vertices have been

connected.
3
6 4
8 The solution is
8 AB 3
A F D
7 AE 4
ED 2
5 DC 4
4 2 EF 5

E Total weight of tree: 18

 SOME POINTS TO NOTE

• Both algorithms will always give solutions with the same length.

• They will usually select edges in a different order – you must

show this in your workings.

• Occasionally they will use different edges – this may happen

when you have to choose between edges with the same length.
In this case there is more than one minimum connector for the
network.
THANK YOU