Routing Algorithms,

Optimality Principle and

Shortest Path Algorithm

S A N Shams Rishad
012 193 014
CSE 6125
Routing Algorithms Overview

• The main function of the network layer is routing packets from the
source machine to the destination machine
Routing Algorithms Overview
• Definition: Decide the path packets take from source → destination
• Type
• Non-Adaptive: Fixed Route (AKA Static Route)
• Adaptive: Adjusts with topology (AKA Dynamic Route)
• Metrics (for dynamic algorithms): hops, delay, bandwidth, cost,
reliability
• Goal: minimize delay, avoid loops, balance load
• Examples: RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, IS-IS, BGP
Optimality Principle (Bellman, 1957)

A problem is said to satisfy the Principle of Optimality if the sub-solutions of

an optimal solution of the problem are themselves optimal solutions for
their subproblems

“If router J lies on the optimal path from I to K, then the optimal path
from J to K is also along that route.”

…This principle is the foundation of all modern routing algorithms.

Optimality Principle (Bellman, 1957)

• Implication: all optimal routes form a tree rooted at the destination

• Sink tree ensures consistency & loop-free paths
• Multiple equal-cost paths ⇒ forms a DAG (Directed Acyclic Graph)
Shortest Path Algorithm
• Idea: Find path with minimum cost (not always fewest hops).
• Dijkstra’s Algorithm:
• Start from source, distance = 0, others = ∞
• Pick node with smallest distance, mark permanent
• Update neighbors’ distances if shorter path found
• Repeat until all nodes are permanent
• Complexity: O(n²) (faster with heaps)
• Use case: OSPF in real networks.
Dijkstra’s Shortest Path Algorithm
6
B E

2 9
• Shortest Path from a fixed node to
every other node
A 5 1 C
3
• E.g. cities and routes between them

8 3

D F
2
 1. Mark all the Nodes as “Unvisited”

6
B E

2 9

A 5 1 C
3

8 3

D F
2

Visited nodes = [] Unvisited nodes = [A, B, C, D, E, F]

 2. Assign to all Nodes a tentative distance value

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A
B
A 5 1 C C
3
D
8 3 E
F
D F
2

Visited nodes = [] Unvisited nodes = [A, B, C, D, E, F]

 2. Assign to all Nodes a tentative distance value

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B ∞
A 5 1 C C ∞
3
D ∞
8 3 E ∞
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [] Unvisited nodes = [A, B, C, D, E, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B ∞
A 5 1 C C ∞
3
D ∞
8 3 E ∞
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [] Unvisited nodes = [A, B, C, D, E, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C ∞
3
D 8 D
8 3 E ∞
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [] Unvisited nodes = [A, B, C, D, E, F]

 4. Mark current Node as “Visited”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C ∞
3
D 8 D
8 3 E ∞
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A] Unvisited nodes = [B, C, D, E, F]

 5. Choose new current Node from Unvisited Nodes with minimal
distance

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C ∞
3
D 8 D
8 3 E ∞
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A] Unvisited nodes = [B, C, D, E, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

2+6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 2+5 1 C C ∞
3
D 8 D
8 3 E ∞
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A] Unvisited nodes = [B, C, D, E, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

2+6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 2+5 1 C C ∞
3
D 8 D
8 3 E 8 B
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A] Unvisited nodes = [B, C, D, E, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

2+6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 2+5 1 C C ∞
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A] Unvisited nodes = [B, C, D, E, F]

 4. Mark current Node as “Visited”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C ∞
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B] Unvisited nodes = [C, D, E, F]

 5. Choose new current Node from Unvisited Nodes with minimal
distance

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C ∞
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F ∞
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B] Unvisited nodes = [C, D, E, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C ∞
7+3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F ∞
D F
7+2

Visited nodes = [A, B] Unvisited nodes = [C, D, E, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C ∞
7+3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
7+2

Visited nodes = [A, B] Unvisited nodes = [C, D, E, F]

 4. Mark current Node as “Visited”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C ∞
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D] Unvisited nodes = [C, E, F]

 5. Choose new current Node from Unvisited Nodes with minimal
distance

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C ∞
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D] Unvisited nodes = [C, E, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 8+9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 8+1 C C ∞
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D] Unvisited nodes = [C, E, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 8+9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 8+1 C C 17 E
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D] Unvisited nodes = [C, E, F]

 4. Mark current Node as “Visited”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 17 E
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D, E] Unvisited nodes = [C, F]

 5. Choose new current Node from Unvisited Nodes with minimal
distance

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 17 E
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D, E] Unvisited nodes = [C, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 17 E
3
D 7 B
8 9+3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D, E] Unvisited nodes = [C, F]

 3. For the current Node, calculate the distance to all Unvisited
neighbors
3.1. Update shortest distance (if new < old)

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 12 F
3
D 7 B
8 9+3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D, E] Unvisited nodes = [C, F]

 4. Mark current Node as “Visited”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 12 F
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D, E, F] Unvisited nodes = [C]

 5. Choose new current Node from Unvisited Nodes with minimal
distance

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 12 F
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D, E, F] Unvisited nodes = [C]

 4. Mark current Node as “Visited”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 12 F
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

Visited nodes = [A, B, D, E, F, C] Unvisited nodes = []

Say, we want to go from “A” to “C”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 12 F
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2
Say, we want to go from “A” to “C”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 12 F
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2
Say, we want to go from “A” to “C”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 12 F
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2
Say, we want to go from “A” to “C”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 12 F
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2
Say, we want to go from “A” to “C”

6
B E Shortest Previous
Node
Distance Node
2 9
A 0
B 2 A
A 5 1 C C 12 F
3
D 7 B
8 3 E 8 B
F 9 D
D F
2

From A to C: 3 + 2 + 5 + 2 = 12