depth-first search

Depth-first search (DFS) is an algorithm for traversing or searching a tree, tree structure, or graph. Intuitively, one starts at the root (selecting some node as the root in the graph case) and explores as far as possible along each branch before backtracking.Formally, DFS is an uninformed search that progresses by expanding the first child node of the search tree that appears and thus going deeper and deeper until a goal node is found, or until it hits a node that has no children. Then the search backtracks, returning to the most recent node it hadn't finished exploring. In a non-recursive implementation, all freshly expanded nodes are added to a LIFO stack for exploration.
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<algorithm> A graph search algorithm which extends the current path as far as possible before backtracking to the last choice point and trying the next alternative path. Depth-first search may fail to find a solution if it enters a cycle in the graph. This can be avoided if we never extend a path to a node which it already contains.
Opposite of breadth first search. See also iterative deepening.
(1995-04-19)