Philippe Gaultier • 6/3/2023

Cycle detection in graphs does not have to be hard: A lesser known, simple way with Kahn's algorithm

This technical article demonstrates a method for cycle detection in graphs using Kahn's algorithm for topological sorting. It presents a real-world scenario of validating an employee reporting hierarchy stored in a SQL database. The guide includes implementation details in JavaScript, covering graph storage, the algorithm's steps, and how it simultaneously enables proper database insertion order and cycle detection.

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#Database Design #Graph Algorithms #Topological Sort