GATE CS 2014 Set 2 — Question 24

MCQ+1 / -0.33EasyBFS Shortest PathGraph AlgorithmsAlgorithms

Algorithms → Graph Algorithms → BFS Shortest Path

Last updated 5 September 2026

Question

Consider the tree arcs of a BFS traversal from a source node W in an unweighted, connected, undirected graph. The tree T formed by the tree arcs is a data structure for computing

Correct answer (B) the shortest path from W to every vertex in the graph. Solution Breadth-First Search (BFS) explores the graph layer by layer. In an unweighted graph, the level of a node in the BFS tree corresponds to the minimum number of edges required to reach that node from the source. Therefore, the BFS tree rooted at W contains the shortest paths from W to all other reachable vertices in the graph. Turn this into a strength. Explore AI-powered practice and doubt support with Success Tracker.

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Correct answer (B) the shortest path from W to every vertex in the graph. Solution Breadth-First Search (BFS) explores the graph layer by layer. In an unweighted graph, the level of a node in the BFS tree corresponds to the minimum number of edges required to reach that node from the source. Therefore, the BFS tree rooted at W contains the shortest paths from W to all other reachable vertices in the graph.

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