
USACO 2025 January Contest, Platinum
Problem 1. DFS Order
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Bessie has a simple undirected graph with vertices labeled $1\dots N$ ($2\le N\le 750$). She generates a depth-first search (DFS) order of the graph by calling the function $\texttt{dfs}(1)$, defined by the following C++ code. Each adjacency list ($\texttt{adj}[i]$ for all $1\le i\le N$) may be permuted arbitrarily before starting the depth first search, so a graph can have multiple possible DFS orders.
vector<bool> vis(N + 1); vector<vector<int>> adj(N + 1); // adjacency list vector<int> dfs_order; void dfs(int x) { if (vis[x]) return; vis[x] = true; dfs_order.push_back(x); for (int y : adj[x]) dfs(y); }
You are given the initial state of the graph as well as the cost to change the state of each edge. Specifically, for every pair of vertices $(i,j)$ satisfying $1\le i<j\le N$, you are given an integer $a_{i,j}$ ($0<|a_{i,j}|\le 1000$) such that
- If $a_{i,j}>0$, edge $(i,j)$ is not currently in the graph, and can be added for cost $a_{i,j}$.
- If $a_{i,j}<0$, edge $(i,j)$ is currently in the graph, and can be removed for cost $-a_{i,j}$.
Determine the minimum total cost to change the graph so that $[1,2\dots,N]$ is a possible DFS ordering.
INPUT FORMAT (input arrives from the terminal / stdin):
The first line contains $N$.Then $N-1$ lines follow. The $j-1$th line contains $a_{1,j}, a_{2,j}, \dots, a_{j-1,j}$ separated by spaces.
OUTPUT FORMAT (print output to the terminal / stdout):
The minimum cost to change the graph so that $[1,2,\dots, N]$ is a possible DFS ordering.SAMPLE INPUT:
4 1 2 3 40 6 11
SAMPLE OUTPUT:
10
Initially, the graph contains no edges. $(1,2),(2,3),(2,4)$ can be added for a total cost of $1+3+6$. The graph now has two possible DFS orderings: $[1,2,3,4],[1,2,4,3]$.
SAMPLE INPUT:
5 -1 10 -2 10 -7 10 -6 -4 -5 10
SAMPLE OUTPUT:
5
Initially, the graph contains edges $(1,2),(2,3),(2,4),(1,5),(2,5),(3,5)$. Edge $(3,5)$ can be removed for a cost of $5$.
SAMPLE INPUT:
4 -1 -2 300 4 -5 6
SAMPLE OUTPUT:
9
Initially, the graph contains edges $(1,2),(1,3),(2,4)$. Edge $(2,4)$ can be removed and edge $(1,4)$ can be added for a total cost of $5+4=9$.
SCORING:
- Inputs 4-9: All $a_{i,j}>0$
- Inputs 10-16: $N\le 50$
- Inputs 17-23: No additional constraints.
Problem credits: Benjamin Qi