Interactive tool for the succesive shortest paths algorithm in solving the minimum cost flow problem

Abstract

This article covers the minimum-cost flow problem and intends to offer an illustrative tool for efficient education in sciences, especially in the field of flows in networks. In the first part, the article concerns with the basic concepts of the problem itself. The second part describes the ”Successive Shortest Path Algorithm” for finding a minimum cost flow in a network and in the final part, a set of two interactive applications of the problem are covered. The using of AWT (Java) in the developed applets brings the advantage of a sophisticated set of Graphical User Interface which allows step by step solving of both shortest path and minimum cost flow problems.