Dijkstra's algorithm

There is a set of problems in computer science that require us to find the shortest path between a set of points. The applications are numerous and commonplace — from satellite navigation to internet packet routing; even finding the shortest length of wire needed to connect pins on a circuit board is an example of a shortest path problem.

Seeing as this type of problem arises so frequently, there are some standard algorithms that can be used to find a solution. One of these is known as Dijkstra’s algorithm. It was designed by Dutch physicist Edsger Dijkstra in 1956, when he thought about how he might calculate the shortest route from Rotterdam to Groningen.