Algorithms and Problem Solving (15B11CI411)

EVEN 2022

Module 4: Lecture 4, 5
Design Technique: Backtracking

Jaypee Institute of Information Technology (JIIT)

A-10, Sector 62, Noida
Network Flow Problem
• Maximum flow problems involve finding a feasible flow
through a single-source, single-sink flow network that is
maximum. 
• In graph theory, a flow network is defined as a directed graph
involving a source(S) and a sink(T) and several other nodes
connected with edges.
• Each edge has an individual capacity which is the maximum
limit of flow that edge could allow.
• Flow in the network should follow the following conditions:
• For any non-source and non-sink node, the input flow is equal to output flow.
• For any edge(Ei) in the network, 0<= flow(Ei) <= Capacity(Ei)
• Total flow out of the source node is equal total to flow in to the sink node.
• Net flow in the edges follows skew symmetry i.e. F(u,v) = - F(u,v) where F(u,v) is flow from node u
to node v. This leads to a conclusion where you have to sum up all the flows between two
nodes(either directions) to find net flow between the nodes initially.
 Time Complexity: O(max_flow * E)
Ford Fulkerson Algorithm Space complexity: O(E + V)

FORD-FULKERSON(G,s,t)
for each edge (u,v)E[G]
G
do f[u,v]  0
f[v,u]  0
while there exists a path p from s to t in the residual network G f
do cf(p)  min{cf(u,v): (u,v) is in p}
for each edge (u,v) in p
do f[u,v]  f[u,v]+cf(p) GR
• An augmenting path is a simple path from source to sink which do not include any cycles and that pass only
through positive weighted edges.
• A residual network graph (GR)indicates how much more flow is allowed in each edge in the network graph.
• For every edge in the augmenting path, a value of minimum capacity in the path is subtracted from all the
edges of that path.
• An edge of equal amount is added to edges in reverse direction for every successive nodes in the
augmenting path.
• If there are no augmenting paths possible from S to T, then the flow is maximum.
• The result i.e. the maximum flow will be the total flow out of source node which is also equal to total flow in to
the sink node.
 12 4/12
16 v1 v3 20
4/16 v1 v3 20

10 4 t
s 9 s 10 4 7
4/9 t
13 4 13 4/4
v2 v4
v2 v4
14 4/14

8
12 4/12
v1 v3 20 v1 v3 7/20
4 11/16
4
s 4 4
10 t s 7/10 4 7/7
7 t
4/9
13 10 4 13 4/4
v2 v4 v2 v4
4 11/14
 8 12/12
5 v1 v3 13 11/16 v1 v3 15/20
4
11 4
s 3 11 7 7 7/7
t s 10 1/4
4/9 t
5
13 3
4 8/13 4/4
v2 v4 v2 v4
11 11/14

12
12/12
5 v1 v3 5
11/16 v1 v3 19/20
11 4
15
s 11 3 7 7/7
t s 10 1/4
5 9 t
3
8 4 12/13 4/4
v2 v4 v2 v4
11 11/14 Total Flow = 23
Edmonds-Karp algorithm
• Implement the computation of the augmenting path p with a BFS
• Breadth-first search gives the shortest path for graphs (Assuming the length of each edge is 1.)
• Time complexity of Edmonds-Karp algorithm is O(VE2).

Source S  A Shortest path is ADEG using BFS Shortest path is ADFG using BFS
Sink T  G
Flow = 1 Flow = 1 + 2 = 3

Continue to obtain maximum flow.

Cuts of flow networks

• A cut(S,T) of flow network G=(V,E) is a partition of V into S and T=V-S such that
• The net flow across the cut(S,T) is defined to be f(S,T). The capacity of the cut(S,T) is c(S,T)

12/12
v1 v3
11/16 15/20

s 10 1/4 4/9 7/7

t

8/13 4/4
Max-flow min-cut theorem
v2 v4
11/14

S T

A cut (S,T), where S={s,v1,v2} and T={v3,v4,t}.

The net flow across (S,T) is f(S,T)=12-4+11=19
and the capacity is c(S,T)=12+14=26.
Min-cut problem
12/12
• In a flow network, the minimum cut separates the source 11/16
v1 v3
15/20
and sink vertices and minimizes the total sum of the
capacities of the edges that are directed from the source side 10 1/4 4/9 7/7
s t
of the cut to the sink side of the cut.
• Once you find the max flow, the minimum cut can be found 8/13
v2 v4 4/4
by creating the residual graph 11/14
• Traverse this residual network from the source to all
S T
reachable nodes, these nodes define one part of the
partition. Call this partition S.
• The rest of the nodes (the unreachable ones) can be called T.
• The size of the minimum cut is the sum of the weights of the
edges in the original network which flow from a node in S to
a node in T.
Bipartite Graph matching problem
• A matching in a Bipartite Graph is a set of the edges chosen in such a way that no two edges
share an endpoint.
• A maximum matching is a matching of maximum size (maximum number of edges).
• In a maximum matching, if any edge is added to it, it is no longer a matching. 
Example:
• There are M job applicants and N jobs.
• Each applicant has a subset of jobs that he/she is
interested in.
• Each job opening can only accept one applicant
and a job applicant can be appointed for only one
job.
• Find an assignment of jobs to applicants in such
that as many applicants as possible get jobs.
• Represent the Job assignment problem as Max-flow
problem
• Create a flow network
• Find Max-flow in the network
• The maximum flow is actually the MBP we are looking
for.