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Competitive Programming · 20 Oct 2024 · 1 min read

Graph Theory for Competitive Programmers

A beginner's guide to graph theory concepts and their applications in competitive programming.

By Si Yuan Lee

Definitions

Graph theory is a fundamental concept in computer science, especially for competitive programming. Here’s an overview of essential graph concepts:

Key Concepts

  • Vertices and Edges: Graphs consist of nodes (vertices) connected by edges.
  • Directed vs. Undirected Graphs: Directed graphs have edges with a direction, while undirected graphs do not.

Common Algorithms

  1. Depth-First Search (DFS): Explore as far as possible along a branch before backtracking.
  2. Breadth-First Search (BFS): Explore all neighbors at the present depth before moving on to nodes at the next depth level.

Understanding these concepts will enhance your ability to tackle graph-related problems in contests.