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Mathematics

Dijkstra's Algorithm for Shortest Paths in Graphs

Quick fact

Dijkstra's algorithm, published in 1959 by Edsger Dijkstra, was conceived in a cafe in Amsterdam in twenty minutes as a way to demonstrate the power of a new computer, and it still forms the backbone of modern GPS navigation.

Why this is interesting

You're on a road trip and your GPS must instantly compute the fastest route. How does it manage to consider millions of possible paths in the blink of an eye?