Visual Analysis of Graph Algorithm Dynamics.

In this paper we describe a visualization tool for representing the dynamics of graph algorithms. Toward this end, we designed a web-based framework which illustrates the dynamics as time-to-space mappings of dynamic graphs. Such static diagrams of dynamic data have the benefit of being able to display longer time spans in one view, hence supporting the observer with comparison tasks. The tool can show details about how an algorithm traverses a graph step-by-step in a static and animated fashion, for graph algorithm exploration as well as educational purposes. The animation together with the time-to-space mapping forms an overview-and-detail approach. By using flight carrier data from the U.S. Department of Transportation we show the usefulness of our interactive visualization for conveying graph algorithm dynamics.