[Help] How does Prim's algorithm prevent cycles in the MST?

Revision en15, by RahulHarpal, 2024-02-26 17:20:38

Hello, I have enrolled in my college's "Design and Analysis of Algorithms" course. Recently we were studying Greedy algorithms and proving their correctness. I have a doubt about the correctness proof of Prim's Algorithm. How do we prove that it does not form a cycle during its execution? In the following snippet from our lecture slides (from Page No. 58, the MST part starts), it says:

"No cycles ever get created in T. Why? Consider any iteration with current sets X and T. Suppose e gets added.

Key point: e is the first edge crossing (X, V-X) that gets added to T -> its addition can't create a cycle in T (by Lonely Cut Corollary). QED!"

For clarification:

  1. T is the set of edges that Prim's algorithm has included to be a part of MST at any point in time during its execution.

  2. V is the set of all vertices of the input graph.

  3. X is the set of vertices that are already included in the MST.

  4. V-X is the set of vertices which are not yet been included int the output Spanning tree.

Definition of Empty Cut Lemma: https://postimg.cc/JsQdQ8bV

Definition of Double crossing Lemma and Lonely Cut Corollary: https://postimg.cc/5QFR5Fmn

Algorithm/Pseudocode stated in lecture slides: https://postimg.cc/nsBrWdhJ

slide

How are we using the Lonely cut corollary in the part highlighted with yellow in the above image to prove that cycles won't form in the output spanning tree?

I have searched many resources on the internet for my doubts (including CodeForces blogs), but I am not able to find a reasonable explanation for the above question. Please help.

Thank you.

Tags graphs, minimun spanning tree, greedy

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en13 English RahulHarpal 2024-02-26 17:19:46 40 Tiny change: 'p=sharing), it says' -> 'p=sharing) (from Page No. 58, the MST part starts), it says'
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en2 English RahulHarpal 2024-02-26 16:40:53 3 Tiny change: 'e [slides]:\n(https://d' -> 'e [slides](https://d'
en1 English RahulHarpal 2024-02-26 16:40:07 490 Initial revision (saved to drafts)