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Questions tagged [minimum-spanning-tree]

Use this tag whenever your question is related to minimum spanning tree (MST). An MST of a connected edge-weighted graph G is a spanning tree whose sum of edge weights is as small as possible. We usually assume $G$ is finite, simple and undirected.

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When is the minimum spanning tree for a graph not unique

Given a weighted, undirected graph G: Which conditions must hold true so that there are multiple minimum spanning trees for G? I know that the MST is unique when all of the weights are distinct, but you can't reverse this statement. If there are…
Keiwan
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Are all MST minimum spanning trees reachable by Kruskal and Prim?

I believe this is true but have not been able to get a formal proof for either. But is it true that any minimum spanning tree is reachable by applying Kruskal's algorithm? Similarly, is this true for Prim's algorithm? EDIT: To be more precise, I…
domoremath
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Do Kruskal's and Prim's algorithms yield the same minimum spanning tree?

Assuming the edges are undirected, have unique weight, and no negative paths, do these algorithms produce the same Minimum Spanning Trees?
Death_by_Ch0colate
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Finding MST after adding a new vertex

Let $G=(V,E)$ which is undirected and simple. We also have $T$, an MST of $G$. We add a vertex $v$ to the graph and connect it with weighted edges to some of the vertices. Find a new MST for the new graph in $O(|V|\cdot \log |V|)$. Basically, the…
LiorGolan
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Does a graph always have a minimum spanning tree that is binary?

I have a graph and I need to find a minimum spanning tree to a given graph. What is to be done so that the output obtained is a binary tree?
Aditya.M
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Updating an MST $T$ when the weight of an edge not in $T$ is decreased

Given an undirected, connected, weighted graph $G = (V,E,w)$ where $w$ is the weight function $w: E \to \mathbb{R}$ and a minimum spanning tree (MST) $T$ of $G$. Now we decrease the weight by $k$ of an edge $e$ which does not belong to $T$. …
hengxin
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MST with possibly minimal diameter

I am working with some research problem connected loosely to TSP which requires to find the Minimum Spanning Tree of a fully connected, weighted graph, where all the weights are positive and the graph is undirected (just like in Christofides…
I_Really_Want_To_Heal_Myself
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Why do we have different algorithm for MST when graphs are directed?

What was the reason to come up with Chu–Liu/Edmonds' algorithm when the input graph is directed instead of using the Prim's or Krushkal's method for finding Minimum spanning tree ? What cases are not covered in using Prim's algo for finding MST for…
letsBeePolite
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Counting Minimum Spanning Trees

I understand how Kruskal's algorithm works. However, I am not sure how to determine the number of minimum spanning trees that a given graph has. For example say graph $G=(V,E)$ given by When running Kruskal's you can end up with: However, as you…
El Fufu
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Find all critical edges for minimum spanning tree

This is a problem from the textbook "Algorithms, 4th edition" by Robert Sedgewick and Kevin Wayne. 4.3.26 Critical edges. An MST edge whose deletion from the graph would cause the MST weight to increase is called a critical edge. Show how to find…
hengxin
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Is the inverse of MST cycle property always true? Why?

I am trying to find an algorithm which would check for each edge in a given weighted undirected graph whether it belongs to any of the graph's Minimum Spanning Trees. I have found many potential solutions to this problem, which use the cycle…
F.K.
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Does the Minimum Spanning Tree include the TWO lowest cost edges?

Wikipedia's Minimum Spanning Tree reads: Minimum-cost edge If the minimum cost edge e of a graph is unique, then this edge is included in any MST. Proof: if e was not included in the MST, removing any of the (larger cost) edges in the cycle formed…
Aristide
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Spanning tree in a graph of intersecting sets

Consider $n$ sets, $X_i$, each having $n$ elements or fewer, drawn among a set of at most $m \gt n$ elements. In other words $$\forall i \in [1 \ldots n],~|X_i| \le n~\wedge~\left|\bigcup_{i=1}^n X_i\right| \le m$$ Consider the complete graph $G$…
Arthur B
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What edges are not in any MST?

This is a homework question. I do not want the solution - I'm offering the solution I've been thinking of and wish to know whether is it good or why is it flawed. Consider a weighted undirected graph. What edges of it are not a part of any minimum…
The-Q
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Minimum spanning tree formulation as integer program

The minimum spanning tree problem can be solved in polynomial time via Kruskal's or Prim's algorithm. However, every integer program I have seen that corresponds to the MST problem require a constraint for every subset of vertices, so the number of…
stensootla
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