What is the difference between a breadth-first search and a depth-first search?

What is the difference between a breadth-first search and a depth-first search?

The main difference between a breadth-first search (BFS) and a depth-first search (DFS) lies in the order in which they explore nodes in a graph or tree.

In a breadth-first search, the algorithm starts at the root node and explores all the neighboring nodes at the current depth level before moving on to the nodes at the next depth level. This means that BFS explores the graph or tree level by level, moving horizontally.

On the other hand, in a depth-first search, the algorithm starts at the root node and explores as far as possible along each branch before backtracking. This means that DFS explores the graph or tree by going deep into each branch before exploring other branches, moving vertically.

In summary, BFS explores the graph or tree level by level, while DFS explores it branch by branch.