Depth-First Search

B D E

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Outline and Reading
Definitions (§6.1)
 Subgraph
 Connectivity
 Spanning trees and forests
Depth-first search (§6.3.1)
 Algorithm
 Example
 Properties
 Analysis
Applications of DFS (§6.5)
 Path finding
 Cycle finding
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Subgraphs
A subgraph S of a graph
G is a graph such that
 The vertices of S are a
subset of the vertices of G
 The edges of S are a Subgraph
subset of the edges of G
A spanning subgraph of G
is a subgraph that
contains all the vertices
of G

Spanning subgraph

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Connectivity
A graph is
connected if there is
a path between
every pair of Connected graph
vertices
A connected
component of a
graph G is a
maximal connected
subgraph of G Non connected graph with two
connected components

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Trees and Forests
A (free) tree is an
undirected graph T such
that
 T is connected
 T has no cycles
Tree
This definition of tree is
different from the one of
a rooted tree
A forest is an undirected
graph without cycles
The connected
components of a forest
are trees Forest

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Spanning Trees and Forests
A spanning tree of a
connected graph is a
spanning subgraph that is
a tree
A spanning tree is not
unique unless the graph is
a tree Graph
Spanning trees have
applications to the design
of communication
networks
A spanning forest of a
graph is a spanning
subgraph that is a forest
Spanning tree
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Depth-First Search
Depth-first search (DFS) DFS on a graph with n
is a general technique vertices and m edges
for traversing a graph takes O(n + m ) time
A DFS traversal of a DFS can be further
graph G extended to solve other
 Visits all the vertices and graph problems
edges of G  Find and report a path
 Determines whether G is between two given
connected vertices
 Computes the connected  Find a cycle in the graph
components of G Depth-first search is to
 Computes a spanning graphs what Euler tour
forest of G
is to binary trees

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DFS Algorithm
The algorithm uses a mechanism
for setting and getting “labels” of Algorithm DFS(G, v)
vertices and edges Input graph G and a start vertex v of G
Algorithm DFS(G) Output labeling of the edges of G
Input graph G in the connected component of v
Output labeling of the edges of G as discovery edges and back edges
as discovery edges and setLabel(v, VISITED)
back edges for all e  G.incidentEdges(v)
for all u  G.vertices() if getLabel(e) = UNEXPLORED
setLabel(u, UNEXPLORED) w  G.opposite(v,e)
for all e  G.edges() if getLabel(w) = UNEXPLORED
setLabel(e, UNEXPLORED) setLabel(e, DISCOVERY)
for all v  G.vertices() DFS(G, w)
if getLabel(v) = UNEXPLORED else
DFS(G, v) setLabel(e, BACK)

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Example
A
A unexplored vertex
A visited vertex
B D E
unexplored edge
discovery edge C
back edge

A A

B D E B D E

C C

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Example (cont.)
A A

B D E B D E

C C

A A

B D E B D E

C C

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DFS and Maze Traversal
The DFS algorithm is
similar to a classic
strategy for exploring
a maze
 We mark each
intersection, corner
and dead end (vertex)
visited
 We mark each corridor
(edge ) traversed
 We keep track of the
path back to the
entrance (start vertex)
by means of a rope
(recursion stack)
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Properties of DFS
Property 1
DFS(G, v) visits all the
vertices and edges in
the connected A
component of v
Property 2 B D E
The discovery edges
labeled by DFS(G, v)
form a spanning tree of C
the connected
component of v

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Analysis of DFS
Setting/getting a vertex/edge label takes O(1) time
Each vertex is labeled twice
 once as UNEXPLORED
 once as VISITED
Each edge is labeled twice
 once as UNEXPLORED
 once as DISCOVERY or BACK
Method incidentEdges is called once for each vertex
DFS runs in O(n + m) time provided the graph is
represented by the adjacency list structure
 Recall that Sv deg(v) = 2m

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Path Finding
We can specialize the DFS
algorithm to find a path Algorithm pathDFS(G, v, z)
between two given setLabel(v, VISITED)
vertices u and z using the S.push(v)
template method pattern if v = z
return S.elements()
We call DFS(G, u) with u for all e  G.incidentEdges(v)
as the start vertex if getLabel(e) = UNEXPLORED
We use a stack S to keep w  opposite(v, e)
track of the path between if getLabel(w) = UNEXPLORED
the start vertex and the setLabel(e, DISCOVERY)
current vertex S.push(e)
As soon as destination pathDFS(G, w, z)
vertex z is encountered, S.pop() { e gets popped }
we return the path as the else
contents of the stack setLabel(e, BACK)
S.pop() { v gets popped }
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Cycle Finding
Algorithm cycleDFS(G, v, z)
We can specialize the setLabel(v, VISITED)
DFS algorithm to find a S.push(v)
simple cycle using the for all e  G.incidentEdges(v)
if getLabel(e) = UNEXPLORED
template method pattern w  opposite(v,e)
We use a stack S to keep S.push(e)
track of the path if getLabel(w) = UNEXPLORED
setLabel(e, DISCOVERY)
between the start vertex pathDFS(G, w, z)
and the current vertex S.pop()
As soon as a back edge else
C  new empty stack
(v, w) is encountered, repeat
we return the cycle as o  S.pop()
the portion of the stack C.push(o)
until o = w
from the top to vertex w return C.elements()
S.pop()
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