Suppose a maintenance worker needs to empty garbage dumpsters from five locations on the grounds of a park in the most efficient way possible. Which technique is most likely to be useful in solving this problem?
A) Finding an Euler circuit on a graph
B) Applying the nearest-neighbor algorithm for the traveling salesman problem
C) Applying Kruskal's algorithm for finding a minimum-cost spanning tree for a graph
D) None of these techniques is likely to apply

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The problem of emptying garbage dumpsters from multiple locations is similar to the traveling salesman problem, where a salesman needs to visit multiple cities in the most efficient way possible. The nearest-neighbor algorithm is a commonly used heuristic for solving the traveling salesman problem and can be applied in this scenario to find the most efficient route for the maintenance worker to take. The other techniques mentioned (finding an Euler circuit and Kruskal's algorithm) are not relevant to this particular problem.

Suppose a Maintenance Worker Needs to Empty Garbage Dumpsters from Five