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Chinese Postman Problem

The Chinese Postman Problem involves finding the shortest route in an undirected graph that visits each edge at least once. If the graph contains an Euler circuit, then the solution is simply that circuit. For weighted graphs, the solution is the Euler circuit if it exists, or otherwise pairing odd-degree vertices and finding the shortest paths between pairs. The algorithm pairs odd vertices, finds shortest paths between pairs, and modifies the graph by adding these edges to find the optimal Chinese Postman route.

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Monica Pallavi J
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56 views1 page

Chinese Postman Problem

The Chinese Postman Problem involves finding the shortest route in an undirected graph that visits each edge at least once. If the graph contains an Euler circuit, then the solution is simply that circuit. For weighted graphs, the solution is the Euler circuit if it exists, or otherwise pairing odd-degree vertices and finding the shortest paths between pairs. The algorithm pairs odd vertices, finds shortest paths between pairs, and modifies the graph by adding these edges to find the optimal Chinese Postman route.

Uploaded by

Monica Pallavi J
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chinese Postman Problem is a variation of Eulerian circuit problem for undirected

graphs. An Euler Circuit is a closed walk that covers every edge once starting and
ending position is same. Chiniese Postman problem is defined for connected and
undirected graph. The problem is to find shortest path or circuity that visits every
edge of the graph at least once.
If input graph contains Euler Circuit, then a solution of the problem is Euler
Circuit

An undirected and connected graph has Eulerian cycle if “all vertices have even
degree“.
It doesn’t matter whether graph is weighted or unweighted, the Chinese Postman Route is
always same as Eulerian Circuit if it exists. In weighted graph the minimum possible weight
of Postman tour is sum of all edge weights which we get through Eulerian Circuit. We can’t
get a shorter route as we must visit all edges at-least once.
2) In weighted graph, minimum total weight of edges to duplicate so that given graph
converts to a graph with Eulerian Cycle.
Algorithm to find shortest closed path or optimal
Chinese postman route in a weighted graph that may
not be Eulerian.
step 1 : If graph is Eulerian, return sum of all
edge weights.Else do following steps.
step 2 : We find all the vertices with odd degree
step 3 : List all possible pairings of odd vertices
For n odd vertices total number of pairings
possible are, (n-1) * (n-3) * (n -5)... * 1
step 4 : For each set of pairings, find the shortest
path connecting them.
step 5 : Find the pairing with minimum shortest path
connecting pairs.
step 6 : Modify the graph by adding all the edges that
have been found in step 5.
step 7 : Weight of Chinese Postman Tour is sum of all
edges in the modified graph.
step 8 : Print Euler Circuit of the modified graph.
This Euler Circuit is Chinese Postman Tour.

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