Data Modelling & AI Data Structure & Algorithm

Find the minimum spanning tree with alternating colored edges

23 June 2025

0

Given a graph with N nodes and M edges where each edge has a color (either black or green) and a cost associated with it. Find the minimum spanning tree of the graph such that every path in the tree is made up of alternating colored edges. Examples:

Input: N = 3, M = 4 Output: 6 Input: N = 4, M = 6 Output: 4

Approach:

The first observation we make here is every such kind of spanning tree will be a chain. To prove it, suppose we have a tree that is not a chain and every path in it is made up of alternating edges. Then we can deduce that at least 1 node has a degree of 3. Out of these 3 edges, at least 2 will have the same color. The path using these 2 edges will never follow the conditions and Hence, such kind of tree is always a chain.
Now we can find a chain with minimum cost and alternating edges using bitmask-dp, dp[mask(2^n)][Node(n)][col_of_last_edge(2)] where the mask is the bitmask of nodes we’ve added to the chain. Node is the last node we added to the chain.col_of_last_edge is the color of edge use to connect Node.
To transition from 1 state to another state we visit the adjacency list of the last node and use those edges which have color != col_of_last_edge.

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++

// C++ program for the
// above approach
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
 
int graph[18][18][2];
 
// Initializing dp of size =
// (2^18)*18*2.
long long dp[1 << 18][18][2];
 
// Recursive Function to calculate
// Minimum Cost with alternate 
// colour edges
long long minCost(int n, int m, int mask, int prev, int col)
{
    // Base case
    if (mask == ((1 << n) - 1)) {
        return 0;
    }
    // If already calculated
    if (dp[mask][prev][col == 1] != 0) {
        return dp[mask][prev][col == 1];
    }
 
    long long ans = 1e9;
 
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        for (int j = 0; j < 2; j++) {
            // Masking previous edges
            // as explained in above formula.
            if (graph[prev][i][j] && !(mask & (1 << i)) 
                && (j != col)) {
                long long z = graph[prev][i][j] + 
                              minCost(n,m,mask|(1<<i),i,j);
                ans = min(z, ans);
            }
        }
    }
 
    return dp[mask][prev][col == 1] = ans;
}
 
// Function to Adjacency
// List Representation 
// of a Graph
void makeGraph(vector<pair<pair<int,int>,
                      pair<int,char>>>& vp,int m){
 
  for (int i = 0; i < m; i++) {
    int a = vp[i].first.first - 1;
    int b = vp[i].first.second - 1;
    int cost = vp[i].second.first;
    char color = vp[i].second.second;
    graph[a][b][color == 'W'] = cost;
    graph[b][a][color == 'W'] = cost;
  }
}
 
// Function to getCost
// for the Minimum Spanning
// Tree Formed
int getCost(int n,int m){
     
    // Assigning maximum
    // possible value.
    long long ans = 1e9;
 
    for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
        ans = min(ans, minCost(n, m, 1 << i, i, 2));
    }
 
    if (ans != 1e9) {
        return ans;
    }
    else {
        return -1;
    }
}
 
// Driver code
int main()
{
    int n = 3, m = 4;
    vector<pair<pair<int, int>, pair<int, char> > > vp = {
        { { 1, 2 }, { 2, 'B' } },
        { { 1, 2 }, { 3, 'W' } },
        { { 2, 3 }, { 4, 'W' } },
        { { 2, 3 }, { 5, 'B' } }
    };
 
    makeGraph(vp,m);
    cout << getCost(n,m) << '\n';
     
    return 0;
}

Python3

# Python implementation of the approach
 
graph = [[[0, 0] for i in range(18)] for j in range(18)]
 
# Initializing dp of size =
# (2^18)*18*2.
dp = [[[0, 0] for i in range(18)] for j in range(1 << 15)]
 
# Recursive Function to calculate
# Minimum Cost with alternate
# colour edges
def minCost(n: int, m: int, mask: 
            int, prev: int, col: int) -> int:
    global dp
 
    # Base case
    if mask == ((1 << n) - 1):
        return 0
 
    # If already calculated
    if dp[mask][prev][col == 1] != 0:
        return dp[mask][prev][col == 1]
 
    ans = int(1e9)
 
    for i in range(n):
        for j in range(2):
 
            # Masking previous edges
            # as explained in above formula.
            if graph[prev][i][j] and not (mask & (1 << i)) \
                and (j != col):
                z = graph[prev][i][j] + minCost(n,
                        m, mask | (1 << i), i, j)
                ans = min(z, ans)
 
    dp[mask][prev][col == 1] = ans
    return dp[mask][prev][col == 1]
 
# Function to Adjacency
# List Representation
# of a Graph
def makeGraph(vp: list, m: int):
    global graph
    for i in range(m):
        a = vp[i][0][0] - 1
        b = vp[i][0][1] - 1
        cost = vp[i][1][0]
        color = vp[i][1][1]
        graph[a][b][color == 'W'] = cost
        graph[b][a][color == 'W'] = cost
 
# Function to getCost
# for the Minimum Spanning
# Tree Formed
def getCost(n: int, m: int) -> int:
 
    # Assigning maximum
    # possible value.
    ans = int(1e9)
    for i in range(n):
        ans = min(ans, minCost(n, m, 1 << i, i, 2))
 
    if ans != int(1e9):
        return ans
    else:
        return -1
 
# Driver Code
if __name__ == "__main__":
 
    n = 3
    m = 4
    vp = [[[1, 2], [2, 'B']],
        [[1, 2], [3, 'W']],
        [[2, 3], [4, 'W']],
        [[2, 3], [5, 'B']]]
    makeGraph(vp, m)
    print(getCost(n, m))
 
# This code is contributed by
# sanjeev2552

C#

// C# program for the
// above approach
 
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
 
class Program
{
   
// Initializing dp of size =
// (2^18)*18*2.
    static int[,,] graph = new int[18, 18, 2];
    static long[,,] dp = new long[1 << 18, 18, 2];
// Recursive Function to calculate
// Minimum Cost with alternate 
// colour edges
    static long minCost(int n, int m, int mask, int prev, int col)
    {
        if (mask == ((1 << n) - 1))
        {
            return 0;
        }
         
        if(col!=1)col=0;
         // If already calculated
        if (dp[mask, prev, col] != 0)
        {
            return dp[mask, prev, col];
        }
 
        long ans = 1000000000;
 
        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
        {
            for (int j = 0; j < 2; j++)
            {
                if (graph[prev, i, j] != 0 && (mask & (1 << i)) == 0
                    && (j != col))
                {
                    long z = graph[prev, i, j] + minCost(n, m, mask | (1 << i), i, j);
                    ans = Math.Min(z, ans);
                }
            }
        }
 
        return dp[mask, prev, col] = ans;
    }
 
// Function to Adjacency
// List Representation 
// of a Graph
    static void MakeGraph(List<Tuple<Tuple<int, int>, Tuple<int, char>>> vp, int m)
    {
        for (int i = 0; i < m; i++)
        {
            int a = vp[i].Item1.Item1 - 1;
            int b = vp[i].Item1.Item2 - 1;
            int cost = vp[i].Item2.Item1;
            char color = vp[i].Item2.Item2;
            graph[a, b, color == 'W' ? 1 : 0] = cost;
            graph[b, a, color == 'W' ? 1 : 0] = cost;
        }
    }
// Function to getCost
// for the Minimum Spanning
// Tree Formed
    static int GetCost(int n, int m)
    {
        long ans = 1000000000;
 
        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
        {
            ans = Math.Min(ans, minCost(n, m, 1 << i, i, 2));
        }
 
        if (ans != 1000000000)
        {
            return (int)ans;
        }
        else
        {
            return -1;
        }
    }
  // Driver code
     static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            int n = 3, m = 4;
            List<Tuple<Tuple<int, int>, Tuple<int, char>>> vp = new List<Tuple<Tuple<int, int>, Tuple<int, char>>>()
            {
                Tuple.Create(Tuple.Create(1, 2), Tuple.Create(2, 'B')),
                Tuple.Create(Tuple.Create(1, 2), Tuple.Create(3, 'W')),
                Tuple.Create(Tuple.Create(2, 3), Tuple.Create(4, 'W')),
                Tuple.Create(Tuple.Create(2, 3), Tuple.Create(5, 'B'))
            };
 
            MakeGraph(vp, m);
            Console.WriteLine(GetCost(n, m));
        }
}

Javascript

//JavaScript program for the
// above approach
 
// Initializing dp of size =
// (2^18)*18*2.
let graph = new Array(18).fill().map(() =>
  new Array(18).fill().map(() => new Array(2).fill(0))
);
let dp = new Array(1 << 18).fill().map(() =>
  new Array(18).fill().map(() => new Array(2).fill(0))
);
 
// Recursive Function to calculate
// Minimum Cost with alternate
// colour edges
function minCost(n, m, mask, prev, col) {
  if (mask == (1 << n) - 1) {
    return 0;
  }
 
  if (col != 1) col = 0;
  // If already calculated
  if (dp[mask][prev][col] != 0) {
    return dp[mask][prev][col];
  }
 
  let ans = 1000000000;
 
  for (let i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    for (let j = 0; j < 2; j++) {
      if (
        graph[prev][i][j] != 0 &&
        (mask & (1 << i)) == 0 &&
        j != col
      ) {
        let z = graph[prev][i][j] + minCost(n, m, mask | (1 << i), i, j);
        ans = Math.min(z, ans);
      }
    }
  }
 
  return (dp[mask][prev][col] = ans);
}
 
// Function to Adjacency
// List Representation
// of a Graph
function makeGraph(vp, m) {
  for (let i = 0; i < m; i++) {
    let a = vp[i][0][0] - 1;
    let b = vp[i][0][1] - 1;
    let cost = vp[i][1][0];
    let color = vp[i][1][1];
    graph[a][b][color == 'W' ? 1 : 0] = cost;
    graph[b][a][color == 'W' ? 1 : 0] = cost;
  }
}
 
// Function to getCost
// for the Minimum Spanning
// Tree Formed
function getCost(n, m) {
  // Assigning maximum
  // possible value.
  let ans = 1000000000;
 
  for (let i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    ans = Math.min(ans, minCost(n, m, 1 << i, i, 2));
  }
 
  if (ans != 1000000000) {
    return ans;
  } else {
    return -1;
  }
}
 
// Driver code
let n = 3,
  m = 4;
let vp = [
  [[1, 2], [2, 'B']],
  [[1, 2], [3, 'W']],
  [[2, 3], [4, 'W']],
  [[2, 3], [5, 'B']]
];
 
makeGraph(vp, m);
console.log(getCost(n, m));
 
// This code is contributed by rutikbhosale

Output:

Time Complexity: O(2^N * (M + N))

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Find the minimum spanning tree with alternating colored edges

C++

Python3

C#

Javascript

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