Breadth-first search

How it is used

Common in algorithm classes, interview questions, and pathfinding discussions. Often used for shortest paths in unweighted graphs and level-order traversal.

Example sentences

1. To find the minimum number of transfers between stations, the engineer used breadth-first search on the transit network graph.

   Here the term is used because this traversal reaches nodes in increasing distance, which helps count the fewest edges to a target.

2. Our parser visualizer runs breadth-first search to print each tree level on a separate line for easier debugging.

   In this example, it highlights level-by-level traversal, which naturally matches printing nodes grouped by depth in the tree.

Common collocations

• breadth-first search traversal
• breadth-first search queue
• run breadth-first search

Related terms

• algorithmA clear, step-by-step method for solving a problem or doing a task, such as sorting a list or finding the shortest route between two points.
• data structureA way of organizing data in memory, such as an array, list, tree or hash map, so that certain operations are fast and simple.

More terms: Data Structures and Algorithms

• array
• iterate
• hash map
• recursion
• Big O notation
• time complexity
• index
• sort
• stack
• queue
• linked list
• tree