Depth-First Search (DFS) A depth-first search (DFS) is a graph traversal algorithm that explores the graph depthwise, starting from the entry node and then...
Depth-First Search (DFS)
A depth-first search (DFS) is a graph traversal algorithm that explores the graph depthwise, starting from the entry node and then exploring the nearest unvisited neighbors, and so on. This process continues until all nodes in the graph have been visited.
Process:
Start at the entry node.
Visit all the neighbors of the entry node.
Mark the visited nodes.
Explore the unexplored neighbors of the current node.
Repeat steps 2-4 until all nodes in the graph have been visited.
Example:
Suppose we have the following graph:
Graph:
A---B---C---D---E
The DFS algorithm would work as follows:
Start at node A.
Visit nodes B, C, and D.
Mark nodes A, B, C, and D as visited.
Explore the neighbor of node D, which is node E.
Mark node E as visited.
Continue the search by visiting node B, which was not visited in the previous steps.
Continue until all nodes in the graph have been visited.
Applications:
DFS is used in various algorithms, such as:
Finding connected components in a graph
Topological sorting of a graph
Shortest path finding
Solving maze problems
DFS is a simple but efficient algorithm that can be used to solve a wide range of problems related to graphs