Math Problem Statement

Apply the nearest neighbor algorithm to the graph starting at vertex A. The edge weights between vertices are shown in the table.

Solution

The problem asks to apply the "nearest neighbor" algorithm to the given weighted graph starting from vertex AA and return to AA. The table provides the weights of edges between the vertices A,B,C,D,E,FA, B, C, D, E, F.

Nearest Neighbor Algorithm:

  1. Start from the initial vertex AA.
  2. From the current vertex, move to the nearest unvisited vertex (the one with the smallest edge weight).
  3. Repeat this process until all vertices are visited.
  4. Finally, return to the starting vertex AA.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Start at AA:

  • The edge weights from AA to other vertices are:
    • AB=16A \to B = 16
    • AC=51A \to C = 51
    • AD=3A \to D = 3
    • AE=53A \to E = 53
    • AF=41A \to F = 41

The smallest weight is 33 (to vertex DD). Move to DD.

From DD:

  • The edge weights from DD to other unvisited vertices are:
    • DB=1D \to B = 1
    • DC=30D \to C = 30
    • DE=34D \to E = 34
    • DF=50D \to F = 50

The smallest weight is 11 (to vertex BB). Move to BB.

From BB:

  • The edge weights from BB to other unvisited vertices are:
    • BC=13B \to C = 13
    • BE=27B \to E = 27
    • BF=55B \to F = 55

The smallest weight is 1313 (to vertex CC). Move to CC.

From CC:

  • The edge weights from CC to other unvisited vertices are:
    • CE=46C \to E = 46
    • CF=11C \to F = 11

The smallest weight is 1111 (to vertex FF). Move to FF.

From FF:

  • The only unvisited vertex is EE, so move to EE (edge weight = 48).

Return to AA:

  • Finally, return to AA from EE (edge weight = 53).

Final Path:

The nearest neighbor tour is: ADBCFEAA \to D \to B \to C \to F \to E \to A

Would you like further details on how this algorithm works, or how to calculate total path weight? Here are some further questions that might help:

  1. How does the nearest neighbor algorithm compare to other pathfinding algorithms?
  2. Can this method guarantee the shortest possible path for every case?
  3. How would the solution change if we started at a different vertex?
  4. Could you explain how the table of edge weights was used to make decisions?
  5. What is the total distance or weight for this nearest neighbor path?

Tip: The nearest neighbor algorithm is a heuristic, so while it's fast and simple, it doesn't always find the optimal solution for larger or more complex graphs!

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Graph Theory
Nearest Neighbor Algorithm
Pathfinding

Formulas

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Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

High School - College Level