INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY ROORKEE

Graph Algorithms
Shortest Paths

Dr. Shahbaz Khan

Department of Computer Science and Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
shahbaz.khan@cs.iitr.ac.in
Single Source Shortest Path (Unweighted)

Given a directed acyclic graph G(V,E) having m edges and n vertices,

compute the length of the shortest path from a given source s.

● Formulation:
dist(s,v) = min(dist(s,u)+1)
for all (u,v) in E

● Order of Computation:
Break dependence cycle: Closest Vertex First

● Complexity: O(m+n)

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Single Source Shortest Path (Unweighted)

Given a directed acyclic graph G(V,E) having m edges and n vertices,

compute the length of the shortest path from a given source s.
Order of Computation: BFS Breadth First Search
Proof: (Greedy Choice) #define pii pair<int,int>
(Arrange by shortest distance)
ShortestPath(int s){
for(int i=0; i<n; i++) dist[i] = INF;
queue<pii> Q;
Q.push(pii(0,s));
while(Q.empty()){
(c,u) = Q.pop(); // Earliest Pushed
if(dist[u] != INF) continue;
dist[u] = c;
forEach((u,v) in E){
Q.push( pii(c+1, v) );
Complexity: O(m+n)
}}}

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Single Source Longest Path (Unweighted)

Given a directed acyclic graph G(V,E) having m edges and n vertices,

compute the length of the longest path from a given source s.

● Formulation:
dist(s,v) = max(dist(s,u)+1)
for all (u,v) in E

● Order of Computation:
Unclear without repeating edge/vertices

● Complexity:
Exponential (Reduction from HamCycle)

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Single Source Shortest Path (No negative edges)

Given a graph G(V,E) having m edges and n vertices, compute the

length of the shortest path from a given source s.

● Formulation: 5 5
5
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dist(s,v) = min(dist(s,u)+w(u,v)) 2 2
5
for all (u,v) \in E 10
10
5
10 10

● Order of Computation:
Break dependence cycle, Closest Vertex First

● Complexity: Trivial O((m+n)log n)

Improved O(m+nlog n)
(Using Fibonacci Heaps)

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Single Source Shortest Path (No negative edges)

Proof Sketch: Induction Dijikstra’s Shortest Paths

Invariant 1: #define pii pair<int,int>
Each v with dist[v]!= INF, is shortest distance
ShortestPath(int s){
for(int i=0; i<n; i++) dist[i] = INF;
Invariant 2: priority_queue<pii, greater<pii>> PQ;
Each v with dist[v]=INF in heap have key PQ.push(pii(0,s));
min(dist[u]+w(u,v)) while(!PQ.empty()){
among all assigned vertex u having (u,v)\in E (c,u) = PQ.ExtractMin(); // top()
if(dist[u] != INF) continue;
dist[u] = c;
forEach((u,v) in E){
PQ.push( pii(c+w(u,v),v) );
}}}

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Single Source Shortest Path (No negative edges)

Proof Sketch: Contradiction Dijikstra’s Shortest Paths

Assume solution incorrect. #define pii pair<int,int>
Closest vertex having wrong distance => x
ShortestPath(int s){
for(int i=0; i<n; i++) dist[i] = INF;
priority_queue<pii, greater<pii>> PQ;
PQ.push(pii(0,s));
while(!PQ.empty()){
(c,u) = PQ.ExtractMin(); // top()
if(dist[u] != INF) continue;
dist[u] = c;
forEach((u,v) in E){
PQ.push( pii(c+w(u,v),v) );
}}}

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Single Source Shortest Path (No negative cycles)
PROOF SKETCH:
Invariant:
After i iterations, any shortest
distance to a vertex v containing
at most i edges are stored in dist[v]
Bellman Ford Shortest Paths
ShortestPath(int s){
Initialize dist[s]=0 and
dist[i] = INF for i != s;
forEach((u,v) in E){
if(dist[v] > dist[u]+w(u,v))
dist[v]=dist[u]+w(u,v);
}
}
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Single Source Shortest Path (No negative cycles)

Detecting Negative Cycles? Bellman Ford Shortest Paths

ShortestPath(int s){
Initialize dist[s]=0 and
dist[i] = INF for i != s;

forEach((u,v) in E){
if(dist[v] > dist[u]+w(u,v))
dist[v]=dist[u]+w(u,v);
}
}

Find single source shortest walks using

BELLMAN FORD Algorithm
In graph having negative cycles

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Single Source Longest Path (No positive cycles)

Given a graph G(V,E) having m edges and n vertices, compute the

length of the longest path from a given source s.

Can we use BELLMAN FORD Algorithm

exchaning min with max operator?

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Single Source Shortest/Longest Path (General)

Given a graph G(V,E) having m edges and n vertices, compute the

length of the shortest/longest path from a given source s.

Problem?

Recall Travelling salesman Problem

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Single Source Shortest/Longest Path (Summary)

Graph Shortest Path Shortest Path Longest Path Longest Path

(No repitition) (With Repitition) (No Repitition) (With Repitition)
DAG

Unweighted

No opp weight
SP = Only Pos
LP = Only Neg
No opp cycle
SP = Only Pos
LP = Only Neg
General Case

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All Pairs Shortest Paths in a Graph (APSP)

Given a graph G(V,E) having m edges and n vertices, compute the

length of the shortest path from all vertices in the graph.

Can we use improve over

repeating SSSP Algorithms
from each vertex?

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