Minimum spanning tree with Kruskal's algorithm
A weighted graph is processed by sorting all edges from cheapest to most expensive, adding each one only if it does not close a cycle with edges already chosen. The animation highlights how this greedy rule, combined with cycle detection, connects every vertex using exactly V-1 edges at the lowest possible total weight, reaching 12. Useful for students studying graph theory, greedy algorithms, or network design in a computer science or discrete math course.
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The prompt that made it
Edges of a weighted graph are taken cheapest first and kept unless they would close a cycle, building the minimum spanning tree with total weight 12; V-1 edges connect every node at the least cost.
Make the next one in this series
- Compare Kruskal's algorithm side by side with Prim's algorithm on the same graph
- Show how a union-find data structure detects cycles efficiently during Kruskal's algorithm
- Visualize how minimum spanning trees model cheapest network wiring or road construction
