Quick Start

This guide walks you through your first graph algorithm execution after the system is running.

Step 1: Prepare a Graph File

The system accepts two text-based formats. Create a simple test file:

test-graph.txt (edge list format):

# Simple directed weighted graph
0 1 2.5
0 2 1.0
1 3 1.5
2 3 0.5
3 4 2.0
1 4 5.0

Each line is source target weight. Lines starting with # or % are skipped. Weight is optional (defaults to 1.0).

Step 2: Open the Frontend

Navigate to http://localhost:3000.

You'll see:

• Left panel — the graph visualization canvas (WebGL)
• Right panel — controls for file upload, algorithm selection, and results

Step 3: Upload the Graph

1. Click "Choose File" in the right panel
2. Select your test-graph.txt
3. Set Format to Edge List

The WASM parser runs in a Web Worker — the graph appears in the canvas almost instantly. Node colors indicate degree (cyan = low, orange = high hub nodes).

Step 4: Run an Algorithm

1. Select Dijkstra from the algorithm dropdown
2. Set Start Node to 0
3. Click Execute

The request goes to POST http://localhost:8000/process_file. The MPI master distributes the computation to the worker, merges results, and returns:

{
  "path": [0, 2, 3, 4],
  "distances": {"0": 0.0, "1": 2.5, "2": 1.0, "3": 1.5, "4": 3.5},
  "mpi_processes": 2,
  "mpi_mode": "distributed"
}

The shortest path from node 0 to all reachable nodes is highlighted in cyan.

Step 5: Animate the Path

Click Play in the results panel. The path nodes light up progressively at the configured speed (Fast: 40ms, Medium: 100ms, Slow: 280ms per step).

Step 6: Explore Further

Action	How
Hover a node	Highlights all neighbors; dims others
Search for a node	Type node ID in the search box, press Enter
Switch layout	Use the Layout dropdown (Force 2D/3D, Circular, Radial)
Compute metrics	Click "Compute Metrics" for density, component count, hub nodes
Try PageRank	Select PageRank → nodes colored by rank score
Try SCC	Select SCC → nodes colored by component

API Quick Reference

You can also call the API directly without the frontend:

# Health check
curl http://localhost:8000/health

# MPI status
curl http://localhost:8000/mpi_status

# Run Dijkstra via API
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/process_file \
  -F "file=@test-graph.txt" \
  -F 'request={"algorithm":"dijkstra","file_format":"edge_list","start_node":0}'

# Graph metrics (no MPI)
curl -X POST http://localhost:8000/graph_metrics \
  -F "file=@test-graph.txt" \
  -F 'request={"file_format":"edge_list"}'

See the full REST API reference for all endpoints and parameters.