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Define the term Branch and Bound


A branch and bound algorithm is an optimization technique to get an optimal solution to the problem. It looks for the best solution for a given problem in the entire space of the solution. The bounds in the function to be optimized are merged with the value of the latest best solution. It allows the algorithm to find parts of the solution space completely.

The purpose of a branch and bound search is to maintain the lowest-cost path to a target. Once a solution is found, it can keep improving the solution. Branch and bound search is implemented in depth-bounded search and depth–first search

B&B is a rather general optimization technique that applies where the greedy method and dynamic programming fail. However, it is much slower. Indeed, it often leads to exponential time complexities in the worst case.

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