Multi-fragment algorithm


The multi-fragment algorithm is a heuristic or approximation algorithm for the travelling salesman problem . This algorithm is also sometimes called the "greedy algorithm" for the TSP.
The algorithm builds a tour for the traveling salesman one edge at a time and thus maintains multiple tour fragments, each of which is a simple path in the complete graph of cities. At each stage, the algorithm selects the edge of minimal cost that either creates a new fragment, extends one of the existing paths or creates a cycle of length equal to the number of cities.