Traversal algorithms expand outward from a start node one 'frontier' at a time, guaranteeing the shortest step-count path is found first.
BFS: visit(v) enqueues unvisited neighbours
complexity O(V + E)
- Graph nodes — vertices in the graph the algorithm will traverse.
- Edge density — how many edges connect the vertices, shaping how fast the search spreads.
- Search speed — simulation time between algorithm steps.
- Frontier decay — how quickly visited nodes stop glowing, so you can track the current search frontier.
The exact same breadth-first frontier expansion you're watching here is what powers GPS shortest-route calculation across real road networks.