What are the differences between BFS and DFS algorithms?

What are the differences between BFS and DFS algorithms?

BFS (Breadth-First Search) explores all neighbors at the present depth before moving on to nodes at the next depth level, while DFS (Depth-First Search) explores as far as possible along a branch before backtracking.

Can you give me an example of how BFS works?

Sure! Imagine a tree structure. Starting from the root, BFS visits all nodes at the current level before going deeper. For example, if the root has children A and B, BFS will visit A and B before moving to their children.

What about an example for DFS?

In DFS, starting from the root, you would go down one branch as far as possible. For instance, if you start at the root and go to A, then to A's child C, you would continue to C's child D before backtracking to explore other branches.

When should I use BFS over DFS?

Use BFS when you need the shortest path in an unweighted graph or when exploring all neighbors at the current depth is important. Use DFS when you need to explore all possibilities or when memory is a concern.