The Dijkstra Protocol

The Shortest Path Cartographer

Dijkstra's Algorithm is the "GPS" of the computing world. It finds the shortest distance from one point to every other point in a weighted network by always choosing the "cheapest" path currently known.

The Assignment

Your mission is to map out the most efficient routes. Your function receives a graph and a startNode.

1. Create a distances map, initializing all points to Infinity, except the startNode (which is 0).
2. Use a loop (or a Priority Queue) to find the unvisited node with the smallest known distance.
3. For that node, check all its neighbors:
   • Calculate the distance to the neighbor through the current node.
   • If this new path is shorter than the previously known distance, update the map.
4. Print the final distance map (Sorted by node ID string).