Explain the steps involved in the Dijkstra Algorithm.

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Explain the steps involved in the Dijkstra Algorithm.

The Dijkstra Algorithm is a popular algorithm used to find the shortest path between two nodes in a graph. It was developed by Dutch computer scientist Edsger W. Dijkstra in 1956. The algorithm works by iteratively exploring the graph from the starting node to all other nodes, updating the shortest path to each node as it progresses. Here are the steps involved in the Dijkstra Algorithm:

1. Initialize the algorithm:
- Set the starting node as the current node.
- Assign a distance value of 0 to the starting node and infinity to all other nodes.
- Create an empty set to keep track of visited nodes.

2. Explore the neighbors of the current node:
- For each neighbor of the current node, calculate the tentative distance from the starting node.
- If the tentative distance is less than the current distance assigned to the neighbor, update the distance value.

3. Mark the current node as visited:
- Add the current node to the set of visited nodes.

4. Select the next node:
- Choose the unvisited node with the smallest distance value as the next current node.
- If all nodes have been visited or the smallest distance is infinity, the algorithm terminates.

5. Repeat steps 2-4 until the destination node is reached:
- Continue exploring the neighbors of the current node and updating the distance values until the destination node is marked as visited.

6. Backtrack to find the shortest path:
- Once the destination node is visited, backtrack from the destination node to the starting node using the recorded distances.
- Follow the path with the smallest distance at each step until the starting node is reached.

7. Output the shortest path:
- The shortest path is the sequence of nodes obtained from the backtrack process.
- Reverse the sequence to obtain the path from the starting node to the destination node.

The Dijkstra Algorithm guarantees to find the shortest path in a graph with non-negative edge weights. It is widely used in various applications, such as routing protocols, network optimization, and GPS navigation systems.