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TheoremStatement: AI-adaptedProof: AI-adaptedSession-authored (Fable 5 assisted)precheck passaudited 2026-08-01
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Kruskal's greedy edge procedure produces a minimum spanning tree

Statement

Let (G,w)(G,w) be a connected real edge-weighted graph. Start with the edgeless spanning forest, repeatedly add a minimum-weight edge whose addition creates no cycle, and stop when no such edge remains. With ties broken arbitrarily, the output is a minimum spanning tree.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A connected finite weighted graph (G,w)(G,w).

[L2]

Spanning-tree exchanges preserve spanning trees (The spanning-tree exchange lemma).

[L4]

Adding an edge outside a spanning tree creates a unique fundamental cycle (Every edge outside a spanning tree determines a unique fundamental cycle).

[F1]

GG is connected, and a connected acyclic spanning subgraph is a spanning tree.

[F2]

Kruskal chooses a least-weight edge among the currently eligible edges.

Proof

technique · induction on the number of chosen edges
1.1

Maintain the invariant that the current forest FF is contained in some MST. It holds initially by L1.

baseL1
1.2

Suppose FTF\subseteq T for an MST TT, and Kruskal chooses ee. If eTe\in T, the invariant persists.

ih
2.1

If eTe\notin T, let CC be its fundamental cycle in T+eT+e. Some edge fE(C){e}f\in E(C)\setminus\{e\} is not in FF; otherwise the TT-path CeC-e would lie in FF and adding ee to FF would create a cycle. Since F+fF+f is a subgraph of the acyclic tree TT, the edge ff is eligible for Kruskal.

step 1.2L4
3.1

At the moment ee is chosen, ff is eligible, so w(e)w(f)w(e)\le w(f). The exchange Tf+eT-f+e is a spanning tree of no greater weight, hence an MST containing F+eF+e.

step 2.1L2F2
4.1

Thus the invariant holds after every choice.

step 1.2step 3.1L3
5.1

On termination, FF must be connected: otherwise a path of GG between two components of FF would contain a first edge joining distinct components, and that edge would still be eligible. Thus FF is a spanning tree. The invariant then forces FF itself to be an MST.

step 4.1F1L1
6.1

Therefore every tie-breaking execution returns a minimum spanning tree.

step 5.1discharge-induction

Depends on

Used by

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