What is depth-first traversal in data structures?

What is depth-first traversal in data structures?

Depth-first traversal is a method for exploring tree or graph data structures by going as deep as possible along each branch before backtracking.

Can you explain how it works with an example?

Sure! In a binary tree, starting from the root, you would visit the left child, then the left child's left child, and so on until you reach a leaf node. Then, you backtrack and visit the right child.

What are the applications of depth-first traversal?

Depth-first traversal is used in various applications like solving puzzles, pathfinding algorithms, and analyzing networks.

How does it compare to breadth-first traversal?

Depth-first traversal explores as far as possible down one branch before backtracking, while breadth-first traversal explores all neighbors at the present depth prior to moving on to nodes at the next depth level.