A Review of Graph Traversal Algorithms: Techniques and Applications in Network Analysis
Chreesk Sabah M. Ali *
Department of Information Technology, Akre University for Applied Sciences, Technical College of Informatics, Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Ibrahim Mahmood Ibrahim
Department of Information Technology, Akre University for Applied Sciences, Technical College of Informatics, Duhok, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This review identifies graph traversal methods as fundamental steps in network analysis that facilitate easy examination of relations within the network. In this review, we plan to discuss multiple graph traversal approaches like depth first search (DFS), breadth first search (BFS), their varieties and indicate how these techniques can be used in practice when analyzing networks. The following is a review methodology covering 10 articles for years 2019 – 2024. The study responds to the question of how to select algorithms for various types of networks with reference to their computational cost and speed. Thus, the authors describe the advantages and drawbacks of the reported techniques, and the topics serve as recommendations for the further advancement of technology. In this respect, the present review also serves to help to close the divide between theory and practice.
Keywords: Graph traversal, network analysis, DFS, BFS