Determining the Shortest Paths from NATO Stations to Different Colleges in CLSU Using Dijkstra’s Algorithm

Abstract

In Mathematics and Computer Science, a graph is a structure made up of vertices (also called nodes) and lines called edges such that each edge connects two nodes. Graphs are used to depict various systems to facilitate further studies on them. In this simple study, we represent the three (3) New Association of Tricycle Operators (NATO) stations, seven (7) colleges (excluding the College of Agriculture and the College of Fisheries) of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU), and some major road intersections in CLSU as vertices; while the roads that connect them are represented by edges to obtain a graph representation for CLSU. The shortest paths going to the seven colleges in CLSU from the three NATO stations were then determined using the Dijkstra’s Algorithm, limited only on the condition that a NATO driver has only one passenger or has more than one passenger but all of them are going to the same destination. With this study, a NATO driver can save fuel, students can save time, and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission from vehicles may be lessened by taking the shortest paths determined. The study also serves as a motivation in appreciating the applications of Mathematics in real life. For further study, it is good to determine the shortest paths from a specific college going to every other college.