The Proof of Correctness of Prim's Algorithm

LetPbeaconnected,weightedgraph.

AteveryiterationofPrim'salgorithm,

anedgemustbefoundthatconnects

avertexinasubgraphtoavertex

outsidethesubgraph.SincePis

connected,therewillalwaysbea

pathtoeveryvertex.TheoutputY

ofPrim'salgorithmisatree,because

theedgeandvertexaddedtotreeY

areconnected.LetY1beaminimum

spanningtreeofgraphP.IfY1=Ythen

Yisaminimumspanningtree.Otherwise,

letebethefirstedgeaddedduringthe

constructionoftreeYthatisnotin

treeY1,andVbethesetofvertices

onnectedbytheedgesaddedbefore

edgee.Thenoneendpointofedge

eisinsetVandtheotherisnot.

SincetreeY1isaspanningtreeof

graphP,thereisapathintreeY1

joiningthetwoendpoints.Asone

travelsalongthepath,onemust

encounteranedgefjoiningavertex

insetVtoonethatisnotinsetV.

Now,attheiterationwhenedgee

wasaddedtotreeY,edgefcould

alsohavebeenaddedanditwould

beaddedinsteadofedgeeifits

weightwaslessthane(weknow

weencounteredtheopportunity

totake"f"before"e"because"f"is

connectedtoV,andwevisitedevery

vertexofVbeforethevertexto

whichweconnected"e"["e"is

connectedtothelastvertexwe

visitedinV]).Sinceedgefwas

notadded,weconcludethat

ω(f)≥ω(e)

LettreeY2bethegraphobtained

byremovingedgeffromand

addingedgeetotreeY1.Itis

easytoshowthattreeY2isconnected,

hasthesamenumberofedgesas

treeY1,andthetotalweightsofits

edgesisnotlargerthanthatoftreeY1,

thereforeitisalsoaminimumspanning

treeofgraphPanditcontainsedge

eandalltheedgesaddedbeforeit

duringtheconstructionofsetV.

Repeatthestepsaboveandwewill

eventuallyobtainaminimum

spanningtreeofgraphPthatis

identicaltotreeY.Thisshows

Yisaminimumspanningtree.