Network arc

An arc on a network is the equivalent of an edge in a graph.

It connects two nodes in the network, representing a relationship or interaction between them.

Weight

The important distinction between an arc and a simple edge is that an arc can have a weight associated with it.

This weight is a number which represents the strength of the connection.

It could, for example, represent:

• The capacity of a road in a transportation network (e.g. how many vehicles can travel along it per hour).
• The cost of sending a parcel along a delivery route.
• The amount of water that can flow through a pipe in a water supply network.
• The distance between two vertices (e.g. towns).

Directed vs undirected arcs

Arcs can be either directed or undirected:

• A directed arc can only be traversed in one direction.
• An undirected arc can be traversed in both directions.