A programming technique for generating minimal paths a general networks

A heuristic technique for deducing minimal paths of a network is presented. It generates only minimal paths, without explicitly determining whether or not a path is minimal. This technique has been implemented on a digital computer to generate a minimal path matrix. In terms of computational speed, the results obtained compare well with existing algorithms. The technique requires minimum storage in memory and minimum user-defined data to represent the topology of a network and flows a modular design strategy. Use of the algorithm is illustrated by examples.