shortest-path problem

computer science

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Last updated

July 19, 2026

Quick Summary

The shortest-path problem is a fundamental concept in computer science and graph theory. It involves finding the most efficient route between two points in a network. Imagine a map with cities (nodes) and roads (edges), where each road has a specific distance. The goal is to determine the path that connects a starting city to a destination city with the minimum total distance.

This problem is crucial for applications like navigation systems and network routing. While simple cases can be solved easily, the complexity increases significantly with the number of nodes and edges, leading to what are known as NP-complete problems, for which finding an efficient, guaranteed optimal solution is challenging.12

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Edsger Dijkstra
…the graph-theory problem of the shortest path between two nodes of a network, which he devised in 20 minutes while sitting in a café with his fiancée, Maria Debets; the Dijkstra algorithm is still used to determine the fastest way between two points, as in the routing of communication networks…
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…the graph-theory problem of the shortest path between two nodes of a network, which he devised in 20 minutes while sitting in a café with his fiancée, Maria Debets; the Dijkstra algorithm is still used to determine the fastest way between two points, as in the routing of communication networks…
Read More