Minimum cost of path between given nodes containing at most K nodes in a directed and weighted graph

Last Updated : 10 Feb, 2022

Given a directed weighted graph represented by a 2-D array graph[][] of size n and 3 integers src, dst, and k representing the source point, destination point, and the available number of stops. The task is to minimize the cost of the path between two nodes containing at most K nodes in a directed and weighted graph. If there is no such route, return -1.

Examples:

Input: n=6, graph[][] = [[0, 1, 10], [1, 2, 20], [1, 3, 10], [2, 5, 30], [3, 4, 10], [4, 5, 10]], src=0, dst=5, k=2
Output: 60
Explanation:
Src = 0, Dst = 5 and k = 2
There can be a route marked with a green arrow that takes cost = 10+10+10+10=40 using three stops. And route marked with red arrow takes cost = 10+20+30=60 using two stops. But since there can be at most 2 stops, the answer will be 60.
Input: n=3, graph[][] = [[0, 1, 10], [0, 2, 50], [1, 2, 10], src=0, dst=2, k=1
Output: 20
Explanation:
Src=0 and Dst=2
Since the k is 1, then the green-colored path can be taken with a minimum cost of 20.

Approach: Increase k by 1 because on reaching the destination, k+1 stops will be consumed. Use Breadth-first search to run while loop till the queue becomes empty. At each time pop out all the elements from the queue and decrease k by 1 and check-in their adjacent list of elements and check they are not visited before or their cost is greater than the cost of parent node + cost of that node, then mark their prices by prices[parent] + cost of that node. If k becomes 0 then break the while loop because either cost is calculated or we consumed k+1 stops. Follow the steps below to solve the problem:

Increase the value of k by 1.
Initialize a vector of pair adj[n] and construct the adjacency list for the graph.
Initialize a vector prices[n] with values -1.
Initialize a queue of pair q[].
Push the pair {src, 0} into the queue and set the value of prices[0] as 0.
Traverse in a while loop until the queue becomes empty and perform the following steps:
- If k equals 0 then break.
- Initialize the variable sz as the size of the queue.
- Traverse in a while loop until sz is greater than 0 and perform the following tasks:
  - Initialize the variables node as the first value of the front pair of the queue and cost as the second value of the front pair of the queue.
  - Iterate over the range [0, adj[node].size()) using the variable it and perform the following tasks:
    - If prices[it.first] equals -1 or cost + it.second is less than prices[it.first] then set the value of prices[it.first] as cost + it.second and push the pair {it.first, cost + it.second} into the queue.
- Reduce the value of k by 1.
After performing the above steps, print the value of prices[dst] as the answer.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ program for the above approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
// Function to find the minimum cost
// from src to dst with at most k stops
int findCheapestCost(int n,
                     vector<vector<int> >& graph,
                     int src, int dst, int k)
{
    // Increase k by 1 Because on reaching
    // destination, k becomes k+1
    k = k + 1;
 
    // Making Adjacency List
    vector<pair<int, int> > adj[n];
 
    // U->{v, wt}
    for (auto it : graph) {
        adj[it[0]].push_back({ it[1], it[2] });
    }
 
    // Vector for Storing prices
    vector<int> prices(n, -1);
 
    // Queue for storing vertex and cost
    queue<pair<int, int> > q;
 
    q.push({ src, 0 });
    prices[src] = 0;
 
    while (!q.empty()) {
 
        // If all the k stops are used,
        // then break
        if (k == 0)
            break;
 
        int sz = q.size();
        while (sz--) {
            int node = q.front().first;
            int cost = q.front().second;
            q.pop();
 
            for (auto it : adj[node]) {
                if (prices[it.first] == -1
                    or cost + it.second
                           < prices[it.first]) {
                    prices[it.first] = cost + it.second;
                    q.push({ it.first, cost + it.second });
                }
            }
        }
        k--;
    }
    return prices[dst];
}
 
// Driver Code
int main()
{
    int n = 6;
    vector<vector<int> > graph
        = { { 0, 1, 10 }, { 1, 2, 20 }, { 2, 5, 30 }, { 1, 3, 10 }, { 3, 4, 10 }, { 4, 5, 10 } };
 
    int src = 0;
    int dst = 5;
    int k = 2;
    cout << findCheapestCost(n, graph, src, dst, k)
         << endl;
 
    return 0;
}

Java

// Java program for the above approach
import java.util.*;
 
class GFG{
  static class pair
  {
    int first, second;
    public pair(int first, int second) 
    {
      this.first = first;
      this.second = second;
    }   
  }
  // Function to find the minimum cost
  // from src to dst with at most k stops
  static int findCheapestCost(int n,
                              int[][] graph,
                              int src, int dst, int k)
  {
    // Increase k by 1 Because on reaching
    // destination, k becomes k+1
    k = k + 1;
 
    // Making Adjacency List
    Vector<pair> []adj = new Vector[n];
    for (int i = 0; i < adj.length; i++)
      adj[i] = new Vector<pair>();
 
    // U.{v, wt}
    for (int it[] : graph) {
      adj[it[0]].add(new pair( it[1], it[2] ));
    }
 
    // Vector for Storing prices
    int []prices = new int[n];
    Arrays.fill(prices, -1);
 
    // Queue for storing vertex and cost
    Queue<pair > q = new LinkedList<>();
 
    q.add(new pair( src, 0 ));
    prices[src] = 0;
 
    while (!q.isEmpty()) {
 
      // If all the k stops are used,
      // then break
      if (k == 0)
        break;
 
      int sz = q.size();
      while (sz-- >0) {
        int node = q.peek().first;
        int cost = q.peek().second;
        q.remove();
 
        for (pair it : adj[node]) {
          if (prices[it.first] == -1
              || cost + it.second
              < prices[it.first]) {
            prices[it.first] = cost + it.second;
            q.add(new pair( it.first, cost + it.second ));
          }
        }
      }
      k--;
    }
    return prices[dst];
  }
 
  // Driver Code
  public static void main(String[] args)
  {
    int n = 6;
    int[][] graph
      = { { 0, 1, 10 }, { 1, 2, 20 }, { 2, 5, 30 }, { 1, 3, 10 }, { 3, 4, 10 }, { 4, 5, 10 } };
 
    int src = 0;
    int dst = 5;
    int k = 2;
    System.out.print(findCheapestCost(n, graph, src, dst, k)
                     +"\n");
 
  }
}
 
// This code is contributed by 29AjayKumar

Python3

# python3 program for the above approach
from collections import deque
 
# Function to find the minimum cost
# from src to dst with at most k stops
def findCheapestCost(n, graph, src, dst, k):
 
    # Increase k by 1 Because on reaching
    # destination, k becomes k+1
    k = k + 1
 
    # Making Adjacency List
    adj = [[] for _ in range(n)]
 
    # U->{v, wt}
    for it in graph:
        adj[it[0]].append([it[1], it[2]])
 
    # Vector for Storing prices
    prices = [-1 for _ in range(n)]
 
    # Queue for storing vertex and cost
    q = deque()
 
    q.append([src, 0])
    prices[src] = 0
 
    while (len(q) != 0):
 
        # If all the k stops are used,
        # then break
        if (k == 0):
            break
 
        sz = len(q)
        while (True):
            sz -= 1
 
            pr = q.popleft()
 
            node = pr[0]
            cost = pr[1]
 
            for it in adj[node]:
                if (prices[it[0]] == -1
                        or cost + it[1]
                        < prices[it[0]]):
                    prices[it[0]] = cost + it[1]
                    q.append([it[0], cost + it[1]])
 
            if sz == 0:
                break
        k -= 1
 
    return prices[dst]
 
# Driver Code
if __name__ == "__main__":
 
    n = 6
    graph = [
            [0, 1, 10],
            [1, 2, 20],
            [2, 5, 30],
            [1, 3, 10],
            [3, 4, 10],
            [4, 5, 10]]
 
    src = 0
    dst = 5
    k = 2
    print(findCheapestCost(n, graph, src, dst, k))
 
    # This code is contributed by rakeshsahni

Output

Time Complexity: O(n*k)
Auxiliary Space: O(n)

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Table of Contents

Minimum cost of path between given nodes containing at most K nodes in a directed and weighted graph

C++

Java

Python3

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