Dijkstra's Algorithm Visualization in the Browser

visualization of Dijkstra's algorithm

Dijkstra’s algorithm is a method for finding the shortest path through a graph with non-negative edge weights. It is a relatively efficient algorithm, and is guaranteed to find the shortest path (unlike some heuristic algorithms). It’s a fairly simple algorithm, but also one that can be difficult to wrap one’s head around. Descriptions abound on the Internet, and there are a number of videos, and even a few interactive demonstrations, but I thought there needed to be a demonstration that was interactive, worked in modern browsers without a plugin, used a non-trivial graph, and was open source. So I wrote one. A prose description of the algorithm is there; I hope it’s easier to understand with the interactive component. Visualizing algorithms tends to make them easier to understand, as observed by Mike Bostock.

Matthew Wigginton Conway
Matthew Wigginton Conway
PhD Candidate in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University

I am PhD Candidate in Geography at Arizona State University, where I research how zoning codes influence transport outcomes.