Prim’s Algorithm( Minimum spanning tree)

Prim’s Algorithm

Prim’s Algorithm also use Greedy approach to find the minimum spanning tree. In Prim’s Algorithm we grow the spanning tree from a starting position. Unlike an edge in Kruskal's, we add vertex to the growing spanning tree in Prim's.

Algorithm Steps:

• Maintain two disjoint sets of vertices. One containing vertices that are in the growing spanning tree and other that are not in the growing spanning tree.
• Select the cheapest vertex that is connected to the growing spanning tree and is not in the growing spanning tree and add it into the growing spanning tree. This can be done using Priority Queues. Insert the vertices, that are connected to growing spanning tree, into the Priority Queue.
• Check for cycles. To do that, mark the nodes which have been already selected and insert only those nodes in the Priority Queue that are not marked.

Consider the example below:

In Prim’s Algorithm, we will start with an arbitrary node (it doesn’t matter which one) and mark it. In each iteration we will mark a new vertex that is adjacent to the one that we have already marked. As a greedy algorithm, Prim’s algorithm will select the cheapest edge and mark the vertex. So we will simply choose the edge with weight 1. In the next iteration we have three options, edges with weight 2, 3 and 4. So, we will select the edge with weight 2 and mark the vertex. Now again we have three options, edges with weight 3, 4 and 5. But we can’t choose edge with weight 3 as it is creating a cycle. So we will select the edge with weight 4 and we end up with the minimum spanning tree of total cost 7 ( = 1 + 2 +4).

Time Complexity:
The time complexity of the Prim’s Algorithm is $O((V+E)logV)$ because each vertex is inserted in the priority queue only once and insertion in priority queue take logarithmic time.