An optimal algorithm for the period of a strongly connected digraph (original) (raw)

This paper presents an optimal algorithm for computing the period of a strongly connected digraph, which is the greatest common divisor of the lengths of cycles through a specified node. The algorithm, denoted as Algorithm P, efficiently computes the period in O(|E|) time and space, making it optimal in comparison to prior methods. Through rigorous proof, the algorithm's correctness and time complexity are established, highlighting its practical significance for graph theory and related computational applications.