Path optimization for graph partitioning problems Original Research Article

This paper presents a new heuristic for graph partitioning called Path Optimization (PO), and the results of an extensive set of empirical comparisons of the new algorithm with two very well-known algorithms for partitioning: the Kernighan-Lin algorithm and simulated annealing. Our experiments are described in detail, and the results are presented in such a way as to reveal performance trends based on several variables. Sufficient trials are run to obtain 99% confidence intervals small enough to lead to a statistical ranking of the implementations for various circumstances. The results for geometric graphs, which have become a frequently used benchmark in the evaluation of partitioning algorithms, show that PO holds an advantage over the others.