NIST

breadth-first search

(algorithm)

Definition: Any search algorithm that considers neighbors of a vertex, that is, outgoing edges of the vertex's predecessor in the search, before any outgoing edges of the vertex. Extremes are searched last. This is typically implemented with a queue.

Aggregate child (... is a part of or used in me.)
queue.

See also depth-first search, best-first search.

Note: In a tree, called a level-order traversal.

Author: PEB

More information

Lecture notes from Design and Analysis of Algorithms on Breadth-first search and depth-first search. A animation (Java).

Go to the Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures home page.

If you have suggestions, corrections, or comments, please get in touch with Paul Black.

Entry modified 26 May 2011.
HTML page formatted Mon Feb 2 13:10:39 2015.

Cite this as:
Paul E. Black, "breadth-first search", in Dictionary of Algorithms and Data Structures [online], Vreda Pieterse and Paul E. Black, eds. 26 May 2011. (accessed TODAY) Available from: http://www.nist.gov/dads/HTML/breadthfirst.html