Networks Everywhere

Discrete Math · Axiom Academy

Design optimal delivery routes for a shipping company. Discover how networks connect our world! Your company has warehouses (shown as circles) connected by roads (shown as lines). Each road has a distance in kilometers. Click on any warehouse to explore the network! You need to deliver a package from Warehouse A to Warehouse E . Which path should you take to minimize distance? Your company is expanding! Add new warehouses and roads to connect all locations. Try to create an efficient network. A network is connected if you can travel from any warehouse to any other warehouse (possibly through intermediate stops). Build a connected network with exactly 4 warehouses and 3 roads! Networks in Discrete Mathematics You've been working with graphs : mathematical structures consisting of vertices (nodes) connected by edges (links). Graphs are one of the most important concepts in discrete mathematics and computer science. Graph theory powers GPS navigation (shortest paths), social networks (connections), the internet (routing), airline scheduling, circuit design, molecular chemistry, and countless other applications. Any system of interconnected components can be modeled as a graph! In discrete math, you'll explore: different types of graphs (directed, weighted, bipartite), path-finding algorithms (Dijkstra's, BFS, DFS), minimum spanning trees, graph coloring, and much more. Every concept builds on the intuition you developed here!

This is the written version of the interactive lesson above. See the full Discrete Math course.