Although graphs and trees have real world applications, they brought a revolution in computer science because they are easy to deal with mathematically and computational wise. Programmers can use them to arrange data in a more organized way that is easy to retrieve. They enable the storage of data in an alphabetical order, hence making it quicker to search and use in different situations (Gross, Yellen & Zhang, 2013). For example, a binary tree will enable the user to search one word from a list of 10000 words within a matter a second.
Graphs and trees are common data structures that have many applications in real-world situations. Graphs can be used to compute the shortest distance or routes between two towns or cities. This is done through the use of Dijkstra's algorithm that solves a major headache that people encounter when they are planning to fly. People would always like to know the shortest route that has the lowest number of connections when flying between cities. Secondly, graphs and trees can also be used to know the cheapest route that one can use when flying. An algorithm is formulated in the computer to compute the price for different routes from one destination to another. As a result, passengers or travel agents are able to know the lowest fare between the two destinations. Thirdly, a telecommunication company intending to provide telephone services to a number of offices or homes located in different locations may also apply graphs and tree to develop the connections layout. The edges represent the routes the company can use to connect one office to another, while nodes represent those offices. The company applies graphs and trees to know the connections that will provide all the offices with the phone services using the shortest wire possible.
References
Gross, J.L., Yellen, J. & Zhang, P. (2013). Handbook of Graph Theory, Second Edition. London: CRC Press.
