Depth-First Search 5/6/2002 11:46 AM

Outline and Reading

Definitions (§6.1)

Depth-First Search „

„
Subgraph
Connectivity
„ Spanning trees and forests
A Depth-first search (§6.3.1)
„ Algorithm
B D E „ Example
„ Properties
C „ Analysis
Applications of DFS (§6.5)
„ Path finding
„ Cycle finding
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Subgraphs Connectivity
A subgraph S of a graph
G is a graph such that A graph is
„ The vertices of S are a connected if there is
subset of the vertices of G a path between
„ The edges of S are a Subgraph every pair of Connected graph
subset of the edges of G vertices
A spanning subgraph of G A connected
is a subgraph that component of a
contains all the vertices graph G is a
of G
maximal connected
subgraph of G Non connected graph with two
Spanning subgraph connected components

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Trees and Forests Spanning Trees and Forests

A (free) tree is an A spanning tree of a
undirected graph T such connected graph is a
that spanning subgraph that is
„ T is connected a tree
T has no cycles A spanning tree is not
„
Tree unique unless the graph is
This definition of tree is a tree Graph
different from the one of
a rooted tree Spanning trees have
applications to the design
A forest is an undirected of communication
graph without cycles networks
The connected A spanning forest of a
graph is a spanning
components of a forest subgraph that is a forest
are trees Forest
Spanning tree
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Depth-First Search DFS Algorithm

Depth-first search (DFS)
is a general technique
for traversing a graph
A DFS traversal of a
graph G
„ Visits all the vertices and
edges of G
„ Determines whether G is
connected
„ Computes the connected
components of G
„ Computes a spanning
forest of G
DFS on a graph with n
vertices and m edges
takes O(n + m ) time
Algorithm DFS(G)
DFS can be further
extended to solve other
graph problems
„ Find and report a path
between two given
vertices
„ Find a cycle in the graph
Depth-first search is to
graphs what Euler tour
is to binary trees
The algorithm uses a mechanism
for setting and getting “labels” of
vertices and edges
Algorithm DFS(G, v)
Input graph G
Output labeling of the edges of G
as discovery edges and
back edges
for all u ∈ G.vertices()
setLabel(u, UNEXPLORED)
for all e ∈ G.edges()
setLabel(e, UNEXPLORED)
for all v ∈ G.vertices()
if getLabel(v) = UNEXPLORED
DFS(G, v)
Input graph G and a start vertex v of G
Output labeling of the edges of G
in the connected component of v
as discovery edges and back edges
setLabel(v, VISITED)
for all e ∈ G.incidentEdges(v)
if getLabel(e) = UNEXPLORED
w ← opposite(v,e)
if getLabel(w) = UNEXPLORED
setLabel(e, DISCOVERY)
DFS(G, w)
else
setLabel(e, BACK)

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Example Example (cont.)

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

A A A A

B D E B D E B D E B D E

C C C C

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DFS and Maze Traversal Properties of DFS

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

Setting/getting a vertex/edge label takes O(1) time We can specialize the DFS
Algorithm pathDFS(G, v, z)
algorithm to find a path
Each vertex is labeled twice between two given setLabel(v, VISITED)
„ once as UNEXPLORED vertices u and z using the S.push(v)
„ once as VISITED template method pattern if v = z
return S.elements()
Each edge is labeled twice We call DFS(G, u) with u
for all e ∈ G.incidentEdges(v)
as the start vertex
„ once as UNEXPLORED if getLabel(e) = UNEXPLORED
We use a stack S to keep w ← opposite(v,e)
„ once as DISCOVERY or BACK track of the path between if getLabel(w) = UNEXPLORED
Method incidentEdges is called once for each vertex the start vertex and the setLabel(e, DISCOVERY)
DFS runs in O(n + m) time provided the graph is current vertex S.push(e)
represented by the adjacency list structure As soon as destination pathDFS(G, w, z)
vertex z is encountered, S.pop(e)
„ Recall that Σv deg(v) = 2m we return the path as the else
contents of the stack setLabel(e, BACK)
S.pop(v)
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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)
template method pattern if getLabel(e) = UNEXPLORED
w ← opposite(v,e)
We use a stack S to S.push(e)
keep track of the path if getLabel(w) = UNEXPLORED
between the start vertex setLabel(e, DISCOVERY)
pathDFS(G, w, z)
and the current vertex S.pop(e)
As soon as a back edge else
T ← new empty stack
(v, w) is encountered, repeat
we return the cycle as o ← S.pop()
the portion of the stack T.push(o)
until o = w
from the top to vertex w return T.elements()
S.pop(v)
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