6 The arcs in the network represent the tracks in a forest. The weights on the arcs represent distances in km .
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Richard wants to walk along every track in the forest. The total weight of the arcs is \(26.7 + x\).
- Find, in terms of \(x\), the length of the shortest route that Richard could use to walk along every track, starting at \(A\) and ending at \(G\). Show all of your working.
- Now suppose that Richard wants to find the length of the shortest route that he could use to walk along every track, starting and ending at \(A\). Show that for \(x \leqslant 1.8\) this route has length \(( 32.4 + 2 x ) \mathrm { km }\), and for \(x \geqslant 1.8\) it has length \(( 34.2 + x ) \mathrm { km }\).
Whenever two tracks join there is an information board for visitors to the forest. Shauna wants to check that the information boards have not been vandalised. She wants to find the length of the shortest possible route that starts and ends at \(A\), passing through every vertex at least once.
Consider first the case when \(x\) is less than 3.2.
- (a) Apply Prim's algorithm to the network, starting from vertex \(A\), to find a minimum spanning tree. Draw the minimum spanning tree and state its total weight. Explain why the solution to Shauna's problem must be longer than this.
(b) Use the nearest neighbour strategy, starting from vertex \(A\), and show that it stalls before it has visited every vertex.
Now consider the case when \(x\) is greater than 3.2 but less than 4.6. - (a) Draw the minimum spanning tree and state its total weight.
(b) Use the nearest neighbour strategy, starting from vertex \(A\), to find a route from \(A\) to \(G\) passing through each vertex once. Write down the route obtained and its total weight. Show how a shortcut can give a shorter route from \(A\) to \(G\) passing through each vertex. Hence, explaining your method, find an upper bound for Shauna's problem.