Activity Overview
In "Money for Nothing," an armored truck is hijacked. The hijackers would desire the shortest route to leave Los Angeles. Charlie used Dijkstra's Algorithm to calculate the most likely routes the hijackers might have used to escape. As Charlie explains, Dijkstra's Algorithm is a greedy algorithm where greedy means that the most favorable choice is picked.
Students will use Dijkstra's Algorithm to find the shortest path through a graph.
Before the Activity
Download the attached PDF and look over the Teacher Page.
During the Activity
Discuss the materials from the Student Page with your class.
After the Activity
Encourage students to explore web sites and questions from the Extensions Page.