Counting shortest paths in a non-directed graph using BFS

  • Context:
  • Thread starter Thread starter evinda
  • Start date Start date
Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 2K views
evinda
Gold Member
MHB
Messages
3,741
Reaction score
0
Hello! (Wave)

A non-directed graph $G=(V,E)$ and two nodes $v$ and $u$ of $G$ are given. Give an algorithm that calculates the number of shortest paths $v-u$ in $G$. (The algorithm doesn't have to print all the paths, just how many exist.) The algorithm should run in time $O(n+m)$ for a graph with $n$ vertices and $m$ edges. Is it like that?

We apply BFS. At the point where we add the nodes in the queue, we calculate also the number of nodes.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What do you think? Have you tried implementing it to see if it sort of works, try and measure the complexity, ...?