What is Dijkstra's Algorithm?
Dijkstra's algorithm is a popular algorithm used for finding the shortest paths between nodes in a graph, which may represent, for example, road networks. This algorithm is greedy, ensuring the shortest path to each node as it operates.
Named after Edsger W. Dijkstra, this algorithm has numerous applications, especially in network routing protocols.
How Does It Work?
- Initialize the starting node with a path value of 0 and all other nodes with infinity.
- Set the starting node as the current node.
- For the current node, evaluate the cost to all of its neighbors.
- Update the cost of the neighbors and mark the current node as visited once done.
- Select the node with the smallest path value as the new current node.
- Repeat until all nodes have been visited.
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