Dijkstra’s single source shortest path algorithm
Given a graph and a source vertex
in the graph, find shortest paths from source to all vertices in the given
graph.
Below are the detailed steps used
in Dijkstra’s algorithm to find the shortest path from a single source vertex
to all other vertices in the given graph.
Algorithm
1) Create a set sptSet (shortest path
tree set) that keeps track of vertices included in shortest path tree, i.e.,
whose minimum distance from source is calculated and finalized. Initially, this
set is empty.
2) Assign a distance value to all vertices in the input
graph. Initialize all distance values as
INFINITE. Assign distance value as 0
for the source vertex so that it is picked first.
3) While sptSet doesn’t include all
vertices
a) Pick a vertex u which
is not there in sptSet and has minimum distance value.
b) Include u to sptSet.
c) Update distance value
of all adjacent vertices of u. To update the distance values, iterate through all adjacent vertices. For every
adjacent vertex v, if sum of distance value of u (from source) and weight of
edge u-v, is less than the distance value of v, then update the distance value
of v.
Let us consider the following
example:
The set sptSet is
initially empty and distances assigned to vertices are {0, INF, INF, INF, INF,
INF, INF, INF} where INF indicates infinite.
The vertex 0 is picked, include it
in sptSet. So sptSet becomes {0}. After including
0 to sptSet, update distance values of its adjacent vertices.
Adjacent vertices of 0 are 1 and 7. The distance values of 1 and 7 are updated
as 4 and 8.
Pick the vertex with minimum
distance value and not already included in SPT (not in sptSET). The vertex 1 is
picked and added to sptSet.
So sptSet now becomes {0, 1}.
Update the distance values of adjacent vertices of 1.
Pick the vertex with minimum
distance value and not already included in SPT (not in sptSET). Vertex 7 is
picked. So sptSet now becomes {0, 1, 7}. Update the distance values of adjacent
vertices of 7.
Pick the vertex with minimum
distance value and not already included in SPT (not in sptSET). Vertex 6 is
picked. So sptSet now becomes {0, 1, 7, 6}. Update the distance values of
adjacent vertices of 6. The distance value of vertex 5 and 8 are updated.
We repeat the above steps
until sptSet does include all vertices of given graph.
Finally, we get the following Shortest Path Tree (SPT).
Time Complexity of the
implementation is O(V2). If the input graph is represented
using adjacency list, it can be reduced to O(E log V) with the help of binary
heap.
Dijkstra’s algorithm doesn’t work
for graphs with negative weight edges. For graphs with negative weight
edges, Bellman–Ford algorithm can be used.