In order to form a more perfect union [minimum spanning tree algorithm]

Author

Belchl, I. ; Sullivan, Francis

Author_Institution

Inf. Lab., Nat. Inst. of Stand. & Technol., Gaithersburg, MD, USA

Volume

3

Issue

2

fYear

2001

Firstpage

60

Lastpage

64

Abstract

The authors present an algorithm for finding a minimum spanning tree. They show a typical application of this MST algorithm. Suppose we have 11 data points in a plane and would like to find some structure among them. Suppose we draw dotted lines between each pair of points. If we consider the points vertices and the dotted lines edges, we have a complete graph on 11 points. If we then choose just enough of the edges to keep the graph connected, this is a spanning tree of the graph. A graph can have many spanning trees. The one presented is an MST, that is, a spanning tree that minimizes the total length of edges. As is explained, the most difficult part of this algorithm is implementing set UNIONs

Keywords

computational complexity; mathematics computing; minimisation; set theory; trees (mathematics); MST algorithm; complete graph; connected graph; data points; minimum spanning tree algorithm; set UNIONs; total edge length; vertices; Algorithm design and analysis; Chaos; Circuits; Costs; Joining processes; Tree graphs;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Computing in Science & Engineering

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1521-9615

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/5992.909004

Filename

909004