🔗 The depth-first search pattern: exploring trees and graphs

Depth-first search (DFS) is a fundamental technique for traversing trees and graphs. This article outlines how to methodically explore all paths by going as deep as possible before backtracking. Franco Fernando explains the core pattern behind DFS, starting from a node and visiting its children or neighbors recursively. The author describes how DFS can be used for finding paths, handling cycles in graphs, and even exploring all possible routes.

The article dives into practical implementations in Python, covering scenarios like searching for a specific value in a binary tree and finding all paths between nodes in a graph. It also addresses challenges like cycles in graphs and demonstrates how to manage visited nodes effectively. With a detailed breakdown of time and space complexities, this guide equips readers with essential knowledge for mastering DFS across various applications.