In this data structure and algorithms tutorial, you will learn everything you need to know about the Prim's Algorithm.
Prim's algorithm is a minimum spanning tree algorithm that takes a graph as input and finds the subset of the edges of that graph which
It falls under a class of algorithms called greedy algorithms that find the local optimum in the hopes of finding a global optimum.
We start from one vertex and keep adding edges with the lowest weight until we reach our goal.
The steps for implementing Prim's algorithm are as follows:
Start with a weighted graphChoose a vertexChoose the shortest edge from this vertex and add itChoose the nearest vertex not yet in the solutionChoose the nearest edge not yet in the solution, if there are multiple choices, choose one at randomRepeat until you have a spanning tree
The pseudocode for prim's algorithm shows how we create two sets of vertices U and V-U. U contains the list of vertices that have been visited and V-U the list of vertices that haven't. One by one, we move vertices from set V-U to set U by connecting the least weight edge.
T = ∅;
U = { 1 };
while (U ≠ V)
let (u, v) be the lowest cost edge such that u ∈ U and v ∈ V - U;
T = T ∪ {(u, v)}
U = U ∪ {v}
Although adjacency matrix representation of graphs is used, this algorithm can also be implemented using Adjacency List to improve its efficiency.
Python
# Prim's Algorithm in Python
INF = 9999999
# number of vertices in graph
V = 5
# create a 2d array of size 5x5
# for adjacency matrix to represent graph
G = [[0, 9, 75, 0, 0],
[9, 0, 95, 19, 42],
[75, 95, 0, 51, 66],
[0, 19, 51, 0, 31],
[0, 42, 66, 31, 0]]
# create a array to track selected vertex
# selected will become true otherwise false
selected = [0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
# set number of edge to 0
no_edge = 0
# the number of egde in minimum spanning tree will be
# always less than(V - 1), where V is number of vertices in
# graph
# choose 0th vertex and make it true
selected[0] = True
# print for edge and weight
print("Edge : Weight\n")
while (no_edge < V - 1):
# For every vertex in the set S, find the all adjacent vertices
#, calculate the distance from the vertex selected at step 1.
# if the vertex is already in the set S, discard it otherwise
# choose another vertex nearest to selected vertex at step 1.
minimum = INF
x = 0
y = 0
for i in range(V):
if selected[i]:
for j in range(V):
if ((not selected[j]) and G[i][j]):
# not in selected and there is an edge
if minimum > G[i][j]:
minimum = G[i][j]
x = i
y = j
print(str(x) + "-" + str(y) + ":" + str(G[x][y]))
selected[y] = True
no_edge += 1
Java
// Prim's Algorithm in Java
import java.util.Arrays;
class PGraph {
public void Prim(int G[][], int V) {
int INF = 9999999;
int no_edge; // number of edge
// create a array to track selected vertex
// selected will become true otherwise false
boolean[] selected = new boolean[V];
// set selected false initially
Arrays.fill(selected, false);
// set number of edge to 0
no_edge = 0;
// the number of egde in minimum spanning tree will be
// always less than (V -1), where V is number of vertices in
// graph
// choose 0th vertex and make it true
selected[0] = true;
// print for edge and weight
System.out.println("Edge : Weight");
while (no_edge < V - 1) {
// For every vertex in the set S, find the all adjacent vertices
// , calculate the distance from the vertex selected at step 1.
// if the vertex is already in the set S, discard it otherwise
// choose another vertex nearest to selected vertex at step 1.
int min = INF;
int x = 0; // row number
int y = 0; // col number
for (int i = 0; i < V; i++) {
if (selected[i] == true) {
for (int j = 0; j < V; j++) {
// not in selected and there is an edge
if (!selected[j] && G[i][j] != 0) {
if (min > G[i][j]) {
min = G[i][j];
x = i;
y = j;
}
}
}
}
}
System.out.println(x + " - " + y + " : " + G[x][y]);
selected[y] = true;
no_edge++;
}
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
PGraph g = new PGraph();
// number of vertices in grapj
int V = 5;
// create a 2d array of size 5x5
// for adjacency matrix to represent graph
int[][] G = { { 0, 9, 75, 0, 0 }, { 9, 0, 95, 19, 42 }, { 75, 95, 0, 51, 66 }, { 0, 19, 51, 0, 31 },
{ 0, 42, 66, 31, 0 } };
g.Prim(G, V);
}
}
C programming
// Prim's Algorithm in C
#include<stdio.h>
#include<stdbool.h>
#define INF 9999999
// number of vertices in graph
#define V 5
// create a 2d array of size 5x5
//for adjacency matrix to represent graph
int G[V][V] = {
{0, 9, 75, 0, 0},
{9, 0, 95, 19, 42},
{75, 95, 0, 51, 66},
{0, 19, 51, 0, 31},
{0, 42, 66, 31, 0}};
int main() {
int no_edge; // number of edge
// create a array to track selected vertex
// selected will become true otherwise false
int selected[V];
// set selected false initially
memset(selected, false, sizeof(selected));
// set number of edge to 0
no_edge = 0;
// the number of egde in minimum spanning tree will be
// always less than (V -1), where V is number of vertices in
//graph
// choose 0th vertex and make it true
selected[0] = true;
int x; // row number
int y; // col number
// print for edge and weight
printf("Edge : Weight\n");
while (no_edge < V - 1) {
//For every vertex in the set S, find the all adjacent vertices
// , calculate the distance from the vertex selected at step 1.
// if the vertex is already in the set S, discard it otherwise
//choose another vertex nearest to selected vertex at step 1.
int min = INF;
x = 0;
y = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < V; i++) {
if (selected[i]) {
for (int j = 0; j < V; j++) {
if (!selected[j] && G[i][j]) { // not in selected and there is an edge
if (min > G[i][j]) {
min = G[i][j];
x = i;
y = j;
}
}
}
}
}
printf("%d - %d : %d\n", x, y, G[x][y]);
selected[y] = true;
no_edge++;
}
return 0;
}
C++
// Prim's Algorithm in C++
#include <cstring>
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
#define INF 9999999
// number of vertices in grapj
#define V 5
// create a 2d array of size 5x5
//for adjacency matrix to represent graph
int G[V][V] = {
{0, 9, 75, 0, 0},
{9, 0, 95, 19, 42},
{75, 95, 0, 51, 66},
{0, 19, 51, 0, 31},
{0, 42, 66, 31, 0}};
int main() {
int no_edge; // number of edge
// create a array to track selected vertex
// selected will become true otherwise false
int selected[V];
// set selected false initially
memset(selected, false, sizeof(selected));
// set number of edge to 0
no_edge = 0;
// the number of egde in minimum spanning tree will be
// always less than (V -1), where V is number of vertices in
//graph
// choose 0th vertex and make it true
selected[0] = true;
int x; // row number
int y; // col number
// print for edge and weight
cout << "Edge"
<< " : "
<< "Weight";
cout << endl;
while (no_edge < V - 1) {
//For every vertex in the set S, find the all adjacent vertices
// , calculate the distance from the vertex selected at step 1.
// if the vertex is already in the set S, discard it otherwise
//choose another vertex nearest to selected vertex at step 1.
int min = INF;
x = 0;
y = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < V; i++) {
if (selected[i]) {
for (int j = 0; j < V; j++) {
if (!selected[j] && G[i][j]) { // not in selected and there is an edge
if (min > G[i][j]) {
min = G[i][j];
x = i;
y = j;
}
}
}
}
}
cout << x << " - " << y << " : " << G[x][y];
cout << endl;
selected[y] = true;
no_edge++;
}
return 0;
}
Kruskal's algorithm is another popular minimum spanning tree algorithm that uses a different logic to find the MST of a graph. Instead of starting from a vertex, Kruskal's algorithm sorts all the edges from low weight to high and keeps adding the lowest edges, ignoring those edges that create a cycle.
The time complexity of Prim's algorithm is O(E log V)
.
#datastructures #algorithms