Network Models

Ch3

Dr. Abdullah Abuhamad 1

After completing this session, students will be able to:

1. Connect all points of a network while minimizing

total distance using the minimal-spanning tree
technique
2. Determine the maximum flow through a network
using the maximal-flow technique
3. Find the shortest path through a network using
the shortest-route technique
4. Understand the important role of software in
solving network problems

Dr. Abdullah Abuhamad 2

• A network consists of multiple pointes
that are connected and communicated
with one another.
• All types of networks use a common terminology
• The points on a network are called nodes and may be
represented as circles of squares
• The lines connecting the nodes are called branches
• Large scale problems may require hundreds or
thousands of iterations making efficient computer
programs a necessity
•
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 Session Outline

• Minimal-Spanning Tree Technique

• Maximal-Flow Technique
• Shortest-Route Technique

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• This models covers three network models that
can be used to solve a variety of problems
• The minimal-spanning tree technique
determines a path through a network that
connects all the points while minimizing the total
distance
• The maximal-flow technique finds the maximum
flow of any quantity or substance through a
network
• The shortest-route technique can find the
shortest path through a network BETWEEN 2
POINTTS

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 Minimal-Spanning Tree Technique
• The minimal-spanning tree technique involves
connecting all the points of a network together while
minimizing the distance between them
• A Company is developing a housing project. It wants to
determine the least expensive way to provide water and
power to each house. There are 9 houses in the project
and the distance between them is shown in Figure 1

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Minimal-Spanning Tree Technique

3
2 5
4
3
5
3 7
7
1 2 2
3
3 8
5 1
2 6
6
4

Figure 1
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Minimal-Spanning Tree Technique
• Using QM for windows – network module
• All iterations for the company
3
2 5
4
3
5
3 7
7
1 2 2
3
3 8
5 1
2 6
6
4

Figures 2
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 Minimal-Spanning Tree Technique

• The total distance is found by adding up the distances in

the arcs used in the spanning tree
2 + 2 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 1 + 2 = 16 (or 1,600 feet)

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 Maximal-Flow Technique
• The maximal-flow technique allows us to determine the
maximum amount of a material that can flow through a
network
• A company is in the process of developing a road system
for the downtown area
• They want to determine the maximum number of cars
that can flow through the town from west to east
• The road network is shown in Figure 3
• The numbers by the nodes indicate the number of cars
that can flow from the node

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 Maximal-Flow Technique

Capacity in Hundreds
of Cars per Hour

2
1 2 2 East
1 1 6 Point
3 0
West 2
Point 1
10 0 11
4
1
6
1
3 5
0 2
3
Figure 3
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 Maximal-Flow Technique
• Using QM for windows – network
module - We should define the start
(source) node as well as the finish
(sink) node.

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 Maximal-Flow Technique
• Using QM for windows – network module
• The maximum flow through this network is 500 cars

PATH FLOW (CARS PER HOUR)

1–2–6 200

1–2–4–6 100

1–3–5–6 200

Total 500

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 Shortest-Route Technique
• The shortest-route technique finds how a person or item
can travel from one location to another while minimizing
the total distance traveled
• It finds the shortest route to a series of destinations
• A company transports beds, chairs, and other furniture
from the factory to the warehouse
• They would like to find the route with the shortest
distance
• The road network is shown in Figure 4

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 Shortest-Route Technique
• Roads from the plant to warehouse

200
2 4
Plant
0 10
10 0

10
50 0 150
1 6

20 0
0 10
40
3 5 Warehouse

Figure 4

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 Shortest-Route Technique
• Using QM for windows – network module for
solving the company problem
100
200
2 4
Plant
0 10
10 0
290
10
50 0 150
1 6

20 0
0 10
40
3 5 Warehouse

150 190

Figure 4

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Another example:
• The following diagram is used for each of the
three examples.
• In order to start any of the three sub-models
including the minimum spanning tree, shortest
path, and maximal flow , it is necessary to
indicate the number of branches.
• In the example, there are 14 branches.
• In order to enter each branch, its starting node
and its ending node must be given.

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 Minimum Spanning Tree
• In the minimum spanning tree, n nodes are to be
connected to each other using n – 1 of the available
arcs. Arcs have costs, and the goal is to minimize the
total cost.
• The data and solution to the example appear in the
following screen:

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• The data is the standard data of the arc or branch,
expressed as from and to node numbers and the cost of
using the arc. Above the data is a box that enables the
user to specify the starting node number. If you leave it
as 0, the lowest node number will be used. Of course,
the total cost is independent of the starting node, but the
actual arcs used might vary in minimum spanning tree
problems.
• The eight branches that should be used are marked with
a Y and the minimum cost of connecting the nine nodes
is 178. A table displaying the order in which the branches
were added is illustrated in the following screen:

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 Shortest Path
• A shortest path example follows:

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• The goal is to find the shortest path and distance from
one point to another. The data screen is shown in the
preceding illustration. Notice that it is possible to specify
the origin and destination. If you leave it at 0, the
program will find the shortest path from the minimum
node number to the maximum node number (1 to 9) in
this example.
• Above the data, the network can be set to be directed or
undirected. If it is undirected,
• the distance from node j to node i is set equal to the
distance from Node i to Node j.
• For example, the distance from Node 2 to Node 1 is set
to 20.
• The solution is as follows:

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Four branches should be included in the shortest path, creating
the path 1-3-6-8-9, with a total distance of 113. In addition, the
program computes the minimum total distance from every node
to every other node as follows. To see the path, set the values
for the start and end above the data.

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 Maximal Flow
• In this situation, the goal is to maximize the flow from the
beginning (source) to the end (sink). The number along
each arc represents its capacities, and the second
number represents its reverse capacity (capacity in the
opposite direction). At the top, the source and sink can
be set. If they are left at 0, the source is the node with
the lowest number, and the sink is the node with the
highest number. Before presenting the solution ,
remember that oftentimes more than one solution exists.
Also, there may be more than one way to derive the
solution. The maximal flow is 61, and the flows along the
branches can be seen in the figure.

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The iterations are given in the following screen. Please
note that there are generally several different iteration steps
that could be taken to arrive at the same maximal flow.

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