Your One-Stop Solution to Learn Kruskal Algorithm From Scratch

What Is Kruskal Algorithm?

Kruskal's Algorithm is a classic algorithm used in graph theory to find the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) of a connected, undirected graph. The MST is a subset of the edges that connects all the vertices without any cycles and with the minimum possible total edge weight. Kruskal's Algorithm is greedy, meaning it builds the MST by always choosing the next shortest edge that doesn't form a cycle.

Steps of Kruskal's Algorithm

1. Sort All Edges: Begin by sorting all the edges in the graph in a non-decreasing order of their weight.
2. Initialize Subsets: Create a set for each vertex in the graph. This is usually done using a Disjoint Set Union (DSU) or Union-Find data structure, which helps in managing and merging sets efficiently.
3. Iterate Over Sorted Edges: Traverse the sorted edge list and for each edge, determine if adding it to the growing spanning tree would form a cycle. This is done by checking if the two vertices of the edge belong to different sets. If they do, include this edge in the MST and union the sets of these two vertices. If they belong to the same set, including this edge would form a cycle, so it is discarded.
4. Repeat Until MST is Complete: Continue the process until there are V−1 edges in the MST, where V is the number of vertices in the graph.

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What Is a Spanning Tree?

A spanning tree is a subset of a graph that includes all the graph's vertices and some of the edges of the original graph, intending to have no cycles. A spanning tree is not necessarily unique - it is possible for there to be multiple spanning trees for a given graph. However, a given graph will always have at least one spanning tree. The edges in a spanning tree are called "branch edges," while the edges not in the spanning tree are called "cycle edges." And this type of graph helps find the minimum number of edges required to connect all vertices in a graph. It is also used to create minimally secured networks with redundant paths.

What Is a Minimum Spanning Tree? 

A minimum spanning tree (MST) is a subset of the edges of a connected, edge-weighted graph that connects all the vertices together without any cycles and with the minimum possible total edge weight. It is a way of finding the most economical way to connect a set of vertices. A minimum spanning tree is not necessarily unique. All the weights of the edges in the MST must be distinct. If all the weights of the edges in the graph are the same, then any spanning tree of the graph is an MST. The edges of the minimum spanning tree can be found using the greedy algorithm or the more sophisticated Kruskal or Prim's algorithm.

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How Many Edges Does a Minimum Spanning Tree Have? 

A minimum spanning tree (MST) is a subset of the edges of a connected, undirected graph that connects all the vertices with the most negligible possible total weight of the edges. A minimum spanning tree has precisely n-1 edges, where n is the number of vertices in the graph. 

Creating Minimum Spanning Tree Using Kruskal Algorithm

You will first look into the steps involved in Kruskal’s Algorithm to generate a minimum spanning tree:

• Step 1: Sort all edges in increasing order of their edge weights.
• Step 2: Pick the smallest edge.
• Step 3: Check if the new edge creates a cycle or loop in a spanning tree.
• Step 4: If it doesn’t form the cycle, then include that edge in MST. Otherwise, discard it.
• Step 5: Repeat from step 2 until it includes |V| - 1 edges in MST.

Using the steps mentioned above, you will generate a minimum spanning tree structure. So, now have a look at an example to understand this process better.

The graph G(V, E) given below contains 6 vertices and 12 edges. And you will create a minimum spanning tree T(V’, E’) for G(V, E) such that the number of vertices in T will be 6 and edges will be 5 (6-1).

If you observe this graph, you’ll find two looping edges connecting the same node to itself again. And you know that the tree structure can never include a loop or parallel edge. Hence, primarily you will need to remove these edges from the graph structure.

The next step that you will proceed with is arranging all edges in a sorted list by their edge weights.

After this step, you will include edges in the MST such that the included edge would not form a cycle in your tree structure. The first edge that you will pick is edge EF, as it has a minimum edge weight that is 2.

Add edge FD to the spanning tree.

Add edge BC and edge CF to the spanning tree as it does not generate any loop.

Next up is edge CD. This edge generates the loop in Your tree structure. Thus, you will discard this edge.

Following edge CD, you have edge BF. This edge also creates the loop; hence you will discard it.

Next up is edge BD. This edge also formulates a loop, so you will discard it as well.

Next on your sorted list is edge AB. This edge does not generate any cycle, so you need not include it in the MST structure. By including this node, it will include 5 edges in the MST, so you don’t have to traverse any further in the sorted list. The final structure of your MST is represented in the image below:

The summation of all the edge weights in MST T(V’, E’) is equal to 17, which is the least possible edge weight for any possible spanning tree structure for this particular graph. Moving ahead, you will learn about implementing Kruskal algorithms using the Union Find Algorithm.

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What Is Union Find Algorithm?

Union Find is an algorithm that keeps track of elements that are split into one or over one disjoint set. It has two primary operations: Find and Union. The Find operation returns the set of elements to which the given element (argument) belongs, whereas the Union operation merges two disjoint sets.

You need to divide the provided graph G(V, E) into three separate sets while building the Minimum Spanning Tree using Kruskal's approach. The first contains edge weight values, the second has a tree hierarchy for distinct nodes, and the third includes the rank of all nodes. By using Union and Find operations, it joins the distinct nodes, which are treated as different trees themselves, to formulate a minimum spanning tree.

Implementation of Kruskal Algorithm in C

Any MST algorithm revolves around determining whether adding an edge would result in a loop or not. Union Find is the most popular algorithm for determining this. The Union-Find algorithm separates vertices into clusters, allowing you to determine whether two vertices belong to the same cluster and hence if adding an edge will produce a cycle.

The strategy to implement the Kruskal algorithm using Union-Find is given below:

• Construct a structure to keep track of the source and destination nodes, as well as their weight.
• Sort all the edges of a graph according to their edge-weight values.
• Create three distinct sets to maintain nodes of a graph, their hierarchy in a tree, and corresponding ranks for every node.
• Primarily, initialize all rank values to 0 and parent values to -1 (representing each node as its own tree itself).
• For each insertion of an edge in MST, you will update the rank and parent of each node.
• Do not insert the edge connecting two nodes if they have the same parent node, as this will cause a cycle in the tree structure.

Now, you will understand this implementation strategy with the help of an example. The graph for which you will develop a minimum spanning tree using Kruskal’s approach is given below:

Initially, you will need to create two sets for maintaining parent value and rank value for each node. Along with that, you will create a structure to keep the edges of the graph. For all the nodes in the graph, you will initialize parent values to -1 and rank values to 0. The reason behind that is that you need to treat all the nodes of a graph as trees themselves.

Additionally, remember that whenever you join two disjoint tree structures together, the rank of one being pointed to will increase by one. So, once you add edges into the MST, the rank and parent values of included nodes will change. This particular graph will show the state of sets, like the figure below.

The C program to implement Kruskal’s algorithm using above-mentioned strategy is as follows:

#include <stdlib.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <stdio.h>
//structure that denotes a weighted edge
struct Edge
{
int source, destination, weight;
};
//structure that denotes a weighted, undirected and connected graph
struct Graph
{
int Node, E;struct Edge* edge;
};
//allocates memory for storing graph with V vertices and E edges
struct Graph* GenerateGraph(int Node, int E)
{
struct Graph* graph = (struct Graph*)(malloc(sizeof(struct Graph
)));
graph->Node = Node;
graph->E = E;
graph->edge = (struct Edge*)malloc(sizeof( struct Edge));
return graph;
}
//subset for Union-Find
struct tree_maintainance_set {int parent;int rank;};
//finds the set of chosen element i using path compression
int find_DisjointSet(struct tree_maintainance_set subsets[], int I)
{
//find root and make root as parent of i
if (subsets[i].parent != i)
subsets[i].parent= find_DisjointSet(subsets, subsets[i].parent);return subsets[i].parent;
}
//Creates the Union of two sets
void Union_DisjointSet(struct tree_maintainance_set subsets[], int x, int y){int xroot = find_DisjointSet(subsets, x);int yroot = find_DisjointSet(subsets, y);
//connecting tree with lowest rank to the tree with highest rank
if (subsets[xroot].rank < subsets[yroot].rank)subsets[xroot].parent = yroot;
else if (subsets[xroot].rank > subsets[yroot].rank)subsets[yroot].parent = xroot;
//if ranks are same, arbitrarily increase the rank of one node
else{subsets[yroot].parent = xroot;subsets[xroot].rank++;}}
//function to compare edges using qsort() in C programming
int myComp(const void* a, const void* b)
{
struct Edge* a1 = (struct Edge*)a;
struct Edge* b1 = (struct Edge*)b;
return a1->weight > b1->weight;
}
//function to construct MST using Kruskal’s approach
void KruskalMST(struct Graph* graph)
{int Node = graph->Node;
struct Edgeresult[Node]; 
int e = 0; int i = 0;      
//sorting all edges
qsort(graph->edge, graph->E, sizeof(graph->edge[0]),myComp);
//memory allocation for V subsets
struct tree_maintainance_set* subsets= (struct tree_maintainance_set*)malloc(Node * sizeof(struct tree_maintainance_set));
//V subsets containing only one element
for (int v = 0; v < Node; ++v) {subsets[v].parent = v;subsets[v].rank = 0;}
//Edge traversal limit: V-1
while (e < Node - 1 && i < graph->E)
{struct Edge next_edge = graph->edge[i++];
int x = find_DisjointSet(subsets, next_edge.source);
int y = find_DisjointSet(subsets, next_edge.destination);
if (x != y) 
{result[e++] = next_edge;
Union_DisjointSet(subsets, x, y);}
}
//printing MST
printf("Edges created in MST are as below: \n");
int minimumCost = 0;
for (i = 0; i < e; ++i)
{
printf("%d -- %d == %d\n", result[i].source,result[i].destination, result[i].weight);minimumCost += result[i].weight;
}
printf("The Cost for created MST is : %d",minimumCost);
return;
}
int main()
{
int Node = 4;
int E = 6;
struct Graph* graph = GenerateGraph(Node, E);
//Creating graph with manual value insertion
// add edge 0-1
graph->edge[0].source = 0;
graph->edge[0].destination = 1;
graph->edge[0].weight = 2;}
// add edge 0-2
graph->edge[1].source = 0;
graph->edge[1].destination = 2;
graph->edge[1].weight = 4;
// add edge 0-3
graph->edge[2].source = 0;
graph->edge[2].destination = 3;
graph->edge[2].weight = 4;
// add edge 1-3
graph->edge[3].source = 1;
graph->edge[3].destination = 3;
graph->edge[3].weight = 3;
// add edge 2-3
graph->edge[4].source = 2;
graph->edge[4].destination = 3;
graph->edge[4].weight = 1;
// add edge 1-2
graph->edge[5].source = 1;
graph->edge[5].destination = 2;
graph->edge[5].weight = 2;
KruskalMST(graph);
return 0;
}

Output:

You can verify this output’s accuracy by comparing it with the MST structure shown above. The overall cost for this MST is 5.

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Implementation of Kruskal Algorithm in C++

#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <algorithm>

using namespace std;

// Define an edge structure
struct Edge {
    int src, dest, weight;
};

// A class to represent a graph
class Graph {
public:
    int V, E; // V -> number of vertices, E -> number of edges
    vector<Edge> edges; // collection of all edges

    Graph(int V, int E);
    void addEdge(int u, int v, int w);
    int find(vector<int>& parent, int i);
    void Union(vector<int>& parent, vector<int>& rank, int x, int y);
    void kruskalMST();
};

// Constructor
Graph::Graph(int V, int E) {
    this->V = V;
    this->E = E;
    edges.resize(E);
}

// Function to add an edge to the graph
void Graph::addEdge(int u, int v, int w) {
    Edge edge = {u, v, w};
    edges.push_back(edge);
}

// A utility function to find set of an element i (uses path compression technique)
int Graph::find(vector<int>& parent, int i) {
    if (parent[i] != i) {
        parent[i] = find(parent, parent[i]);
    }
    return parent[i];
}

// A function that does union of two sets of x and y (uses union by rank)
void Graph::Union(vector<int>& parent, vector<int>& rank, int x, int y) {
    int xroot = find(parent, x);
    int yroot = find(parent, y);

    if (rank[xroot] < rank[yroot]) {
        parent[xroot] = yroot;
    } else if (rank[xroot] > rank[yroot]) {
        parent[yroot] = xroot;
    } else {
        parent[yroot] = xroot;
        rank[xroot]++;
    }
}

// The main function to construct MST using Kruskal's algorithm
void Graph::kruskalMST() {
    vector<Edge> result; // Store the resultant MST
    int e = 0; // An index variable, used for result[]
    int i = 0; // An index variable, used for sorted edges

    // Step 1: Sort all the edges in non-decreasing order of their weight.
    sort(edges.begin(), edges.end(), [](Edge a, Edge b) {
        return a.weight < b.weight;
    });

    // Allocate memory for creating V subsets
    vector<int> parent(V);
    vector<int> rank(V, 0);

    // Create V subsets with single elements
    for (int v = 0; v < V; ++v) {
        parent[v] = v;
    }

    // Number of edges to be taken is equal to V-1
    while (e < V - 1 && i < edges.size()) {
        // Step 2: Pick the smallest edge. And increment the index for next iteration
        Edge next_edge = edges[i++];

        int x = find(parent, next_edge.src);
        int y = find(parent, next_edge.dest);

        // If including this edge does not cause a cycle, include it in result
        // and increment the index of result for next edge
        if (x != y) {
            result.push_back(next_edge);
            Union(parent, rank, x, y);
            e++;
        }
        // Otherwise discard the next_edge
    }

    // Print the resultant MST
    cout << "Following are the edges in the constructed MST\n";
    for (const auto& edge : result) {
        cout << edge.src << " -- " << edge.dest << " == " << edge.weight << endl;
    }
}

int main() {
    int V = 4; // Number of vertices in graph
    int E = 5; // Number of edges in graph
    Graph graph(V, E);

    // Add edges
    graph.addEdge(0, 1, 10);
    graph.addEdge(0, 2, 6);
    graph.addEdge(0, 3, 5);
    graph.addEdge(1, 3, 15);
    graph.addEdge(2, 3, 4);

    // Function call
    graph.kruskalMST();

    return 0;
}

Explanation

1. Edge Structure: Defines an edge with source (src), destination (dest), and weight (weight).
2. Graph Class: Contains vertices (V), edges (E), and a collection of edges (edges). Functions to add edges, find the set of an element, union of two sets, and the main function to compute the MST (kruskalMST).
3. addEdge: Adds an edge to the graph.
4. find: Finds the representative (root) of the set that element i is part of, with path compression to speed up future queries.
5. Union: Unites two sets (x and y), using union by rank to keep the tree flat.
6. kruskalMST: Sorts the edges by weight; Uses a union-find structure to manage disjoint sets; Iterates through the edges, adding them to the MST if they don't form a cycle, until the MST contains V-1 edges.
7. Main Function: Creates a graph, adds edges, and calls kruskalMST to find and print the MST.

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Implementation of Kruskal Algorithm in Python

Step 1: Define the Union-Find (Disjoint Set) Data Structure

class DisjointSet:
    def __init__(self, vertices):
        self.parent = {v: v for v in vertices}
        self.rank = {v: 0 for v in vertices}
    
    def find(self, item):
        if self.parent[item] == item:
            return item
        else:
            self.parent[item] = self.find(self.parent[item])
            return self.parent[item]
    
    def union(self, set1, set2):
        root1 = self.find(set1)
        root2 = self.find(set2)
        
        if root1 != root2:
            if self.rank[root1] > self.rank[root2]:
                self.parent[root2] = root1
            elif self.rank[root1] < self.rank[root2]:
                self.parent[root1] = root2
            else:
                self.parent[root2] = root1
                self.rank[root1] += 1

Step 2: Define the Kruskal's Algorithm

def kruskal(vertices, edges):
    # Sort edges by weight
    edges = sorted(edges, key=lambda edge: edge[2])
    
    # Initialize Disjoint Set
    disjoint_set = DisjointSet(vertices)
    
    mst = []
    
    for edge in edges:
        u, v, weight = edge
        # Check if including this edge would form a cycle
        if disjoint_set.find(u) != disjoint_set.find(v):
            disjoint_set.union(u, v)
            mst.append(edge)
    
    return mst

Step 3: Example Usage

# List of vertices in the graph
vertices = ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E']

# List of edges in the graph (u, v, weight)
edges = [
    ('A', 'B', 1),
    ('A', 'C', 3),
    ('B', 'C', 3),
    ('B', 'D', 6),
    ('C', 'D', 4),
    ('C', 'E', 2),
    ('D', 'E', 5)
]

# Compute the Minimum Spanning Tree using Kruskal's Algorithm
mst = kruskal(vertices, edges)

# Print the result
print("Edges in the Minimum Spanning Tree:")
for edge in mst:
    print(edge)

Explanation

1. Disjoint Set Class: Initialization: Creates a parent pointer and rank for each vertex; Find Operation: Implements path compression to find the root of a set; Union Operation: Uses union by rank to attach smaller depth trees under the root of deeper trees.
2. Kruskal's Algorithm: Sorting Edges: Sorts the edges based on their weights in ascending order; Initialization of Disjoint Set: Creates disjoint sets for each vertex; Edge Selection: Iterates through the sorted edges and includes an edge in the MST if it doesn’t form a cycle; Returning MST: The MST is returned as a list of edges.
3. Example Usage: Defines vertices and edges; Calls the Kruskal function and prints the MST edges.

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Implementation of Kruskal Algorithm in Java

import java.util.*;

class Edge implements Comparable<Edge> {
    int src, dest, weight;

    // Comparator function used for sorting edges based on their weight
    public int compareTo(Edge compareEdge) {
        return this.weight - compareEdge.weight;
    }
};

class Subset {
    int parent, rank;
};

class Graph {
    int V, E; // Number of vertices and edges
    Edge[] edges; // Collection of all edges

    Graph(int v, int e) {
        V = v;
        E = e;
        edges = new Edge[E];
        for (int i = 0; i < e; ++i) {
            edges[i] = new Edge();
        }
    }

    // A utility function to find the set of an element i (uses path compression)
    int find(Subset[] subsets, int i) {
        if (subsets[i].parent != i)
            subsets[i].parent = find(subsets, subsets[i].parent);
        return subsets[i].parent;
    }

    // A function that does union of two sets of x and y (uses union by rank)
    void union(Subset[] subsets, int x, int y) {
        int xroot = find(subsets, x);
        int yroot = find(subsets, y);

        // Attach smaller rank tree under root of high rank tree
        if (subsets[xroot].rank < subsets[yroot].rank)
            subsets[xroot].parent = yroot;
        else if (subsets[xroot].rank > subsets[yroot].rank)
            subsets[yroot].parent = xroot;
        else {
            subsets[yroot].parent = xroot;
            subsets[xroot].rank++;
        }
    }

    // The main function to construct MST using Kruskal's algorithm
    void kruskalMST() {
        Edge[] result = new Edge[V]; // This will store the resultant MST
        int e = 0; // An index variable, used for result[]
        int i = 0; // An index variable, used for sorted edges
        for (i = 0; i < V; ++i)
            result[i] = new Edge();

        // Step 1: Sort all the edges in non-decreasing order of their weight.
        Arrays.sort(edges);

        // Allocate memory for creating V subsets
        Subset[] subsets = new Subset[V];
        for (i = 0; i < V; ++i)
            subsets[i] = new Subset();

        // Create V subsets with single elements
        for (int v = 0; v < V; ++v) {
            subsets[v].parent = v;
            subsets[v].rank = 0;
        }

        i = 0; // Index used to pick the smallest edge

        // Number of edges to be taken is equal to V-1
        while (e < V - 1) {
            // Step 2: Pick the smallest edge. And increment the index for next iteration
            Edge nextEdge = edges[i++];

            int x = find(subsets, nextEdge.src);
            int y = find(subsets, nextEdge.dest);

            // If including this edge does not cause a cycle, include it in result
            // and increment the index of result for next edge
            if (x != y) {
                result[e++] = nextEdge;
                union(subsets, x, y);
            }
            // Else discard the nextEdge
        }

        // Print the contents of result[] to display the built MST
        System.out.println("Following are the edges in the constructed MST:");
        for (i = 0; i < e; ++i)
            System.out.println(result[i].src + " -- " + result[i].dest + " == " + result[i].weight);
    }
}

public class Kruskal {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int V = 4; // Number of vertices in the graph
        int E = 5; // Number of edges in the graph
        Graph graph = new Graph(V, E);

        // add edge 0-1
        graph.edges[0].src = 0;
        graph.edges[0].dest = 1;
        graph.edges[0].weight = 10;

        // add edge 0-2
        graph.edges[1].src = 0;
        graph.edges[1].dest = 2;
        graph.edges[1].weight = 6;

        // add edge 0-3
        graph.edges[2].src = 0;
        graph.edges[2].dest = 3;
        graph.edges[2].weight = 5;

        // add edge 1-3
        graph.edges[3].src = 1;
        graph.edges[3].dest = 3;
        graph.edges[3].weight = 15;

        // add edge 2-3
        graph.edges[4].src = 2;
        graph.edges[4].dest = 3;
        graph.edges[4].weight = 4;

        graph.kruskalMST();
    }
}

Explanation

1. Edge Class: This class represents an edge with source, destination, and weight. It is comparable to sorting edges by weight.

2. Subset Class: Represents a subset for union-find.

3. Graph Class: Contains methods for finding the MST using Kruskal's algorithm.

• find(): Uses path compression.
• union(): Uses union by rank.
• kruskalMST(): Main method to perform Kruskal's algorithm.

4. Main Method: Initializes the graph, adds edges, and calls kruskalMST().

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Kruskal's vs Prim's Algorithm

Kruskal's Algorithm

Kruskal's greedy algorithm finds a minimum spanning tree for a weighted, undirected graph. The algorithm starts with a forest consisting of the individual nodes of the graph and then finds the cheapest edge from each node and adds it to the forest. This process is repeated until only one tree is in the forest, the minimum spanning tree.

Kruskal's algorithm is a minimum spanning tree algorithm that takes a graph as input and finds the subset of the edges of that graph. This input forms a tree that includes every vertex, where the total weight of all the edges in the tree is minimized. The algorithm works by sorting the graph's edges by weight, then taking the edge with the lowest weight from the graph and adding it to the tree. This process repeats until all the vertices are included in the tree.

Prim's Algorithm

Prim's algorithm is also greedy and finds a minimum spanning tree for a weighted undirected graph. However, the algorithm starts with a single node and then adds the cheapest edge from that node to the tree. But Prim's algorithm works differently than Kruskal's algorithm. And this process is repeated until there are n-1 edges in the tree, where n is the number of nodes in the graph.

Kruskal's Algorithm Complexity

Kruskal's algorithm is a well-known algorithm for finding the minimum spanning tree of a graph. It is a greedy algorithm that makes use of the fact that the edges of a minimum spanning tree must form a subset of the edges of any other spanning tree.

The time complexity of Kruskal's Algorithm is O(ElogE), where E is the number of edges in the graph. This complexity is because the algorithm uses a priority queue with a time complexity of O(logE). However, the space complexity of the algorithm is O(E), which is relatively high.

Kruskal's Algorithm Applications

Kruskal's algorithm is popular in computer science for finding the minimum spanning tree in a graph. A greedy algorithm selects the cheapest edge that does not form a cycle in the graph. The following are some of the applications of Kruskal's algorithm:

• Network Design: Kruskal's algorithm can be used to design networks with the least cost. It can be used to find the least expensive network connections that can connect all the nodes in the network.
• Approximation Algorithms: Kruskal's algorithm can be used to find approximate solutions to several complex optimization problems. It can also solve the traveling salesman problem, the knapsack problem, and other NP-hard optimization problems.
• Image Segmentation: Image segmentation is the process of partitioning an image into multiple segments. Kruskal's algorithm can be used to break down an image into its constituent parts in an efficient manner.
• Clustering: Clustering is the process of grouping data points based on their similarity.

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Conclusion

Mastering Kruskal's Algorithm opens doors to understanding fundamental concepts in graph theory and tackling real-world problems efficiently. From network design to clustering in machine learning, this algorithm's applications are vast and impactful. By learning Kruskal's Algorithm from scratch, you are laying a strong foundation for more advanced topics in computer science.

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FAQs

1. What Is the Logic of Kruskal Algorithm?

Kruskal's Algorithm finds the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) of a connected, undirected graph by iteratively selecting the shortest edge that does not form a cycle. It starts by sorting all edges by weight and then uses a union-find data structure to efficiently check and merge disjoint sets of vertices, ensuring no cycles are formed. The process continues until the MST contains V−1 edges, where V is the number of vertices.

2. What Are the Advantages of Kruskal’s Algorithm?

Kruskal's Algorithm has several advantages:

• It is simple to understand and implement.
• It works well with sparse graphs since it focuses on edges rather than vertices.
• The algorithm can handle disconnected components and find the MST for each connected component.
• It uses efficient data structures like union-find for cycle detection, making it computationally efficient with the time complexity of O(ElogE).

3. What Is the Difference Between Dijkstra and Kruskal Algorithm?

Dijkstra's Algorithm finds the shortest path from a single source to all other vertices in a weighted graph, focusing on vertex distances. It uses a priority queue to explore the nearest vertex first. In contrast, Kruskal's Algorithm finds the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) for the entire graph by selecting edges in ascending order of weight, focusing on edges and using union-find to prevent cycles. Dijkstra’s is used for shortest-path problems, while Kruskal’s is used for MST problems.

4. Where Is Kruskal Algorithm Used in Real Life?

Kruskal's Algorithm is used in network design, such as constructing least-cost networks like telecommunications, electrical grids, and computer networks. It is also used in clustering algorithms in machine learning, image segmentation in computer vision, and various optimization problems where a minimum spanning tree is required. Its ability to efficiently manage and connect components with minimal total weight makes it valuable in diverse fields such as transportation, logistics, and resource management.