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Computing the K Shortest Paths: A New Algorithm and an Experimental Comparison

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Algorithm Engineering (WAE 1999)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1668))

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Abstract

A new algorithm to compute the K shortest paths (in order of increasing length) between a given pair of nodes in a digraph with n nodes and m arcs is presented. The algorithm recursively and efficiently solves a set of equations which generalize the Bellman equations for the (single) shortest path problem and allows a straightforward implementation. After the shortest path from the initial node to every other node has been computed, the algorithm finds the K shortest paths in O(m+ Kn log(m/n)) time. Experimental results presented in this paper show that the algorithm outperforms in practice the algorithms by Eppstein [7],[8] and by Martins and Santos [15] for different kinds of random generated graphs.

This work has been partially supported by Spanish CICYT under contract TIC-97-0745-C02.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Informática, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón, Spain

    Víctor M. Jiménez & Andrés Marzal

Authors
  1. Víctor M. Jiménez
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  2. Andrés Marzal
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Box 90129, Durham, NC, 27708-0129, USA

    Jeffrey S. Vitter

  2. Department of Computer Science, University of London, King’s College, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK

    Christos D. Zaroliagis

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© 1999 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Jiménez, V.M., Marzal, A. (1999). Computing the K Shortest Paths: A New Algorithm and an Experimental Comparison. In: Vitter, J.S., Zaroliagis, C.D. (eds) Algorithm Engineering. WAE 1999. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1668. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48318-7_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48318-7_4

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-66427-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48318-2

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