Minimum edges required to make a Directed Graph Strongly Connected

Last Updated : 15 Jul, 2025

Given a directed graph of n vertices and m edges, the task is to find the minimum number of edges required to make the graph strongly connected.

Note: In a directed graph, a Strongly Connected Component is a subset of vertices where every vertex in the subset is reachable from every other vertex in the same subset by traversing the directed edges

Examples: 

Input: n = 3, m = 3, source[] = [1, 2, 1], destination[] = [2, 3, 3]
Output:
Explanation: Adding a directed edge joining the pair of vertices {3, 1} makes the graph strongly connected. Hence, the minimum number of edges required is 1. 
Below is the illustration of the above example:  

Input: n = 5, m = 5, source[] = [1, 3, 1, 3, 4], destination[] = [2, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Output:  
Explanation: Adding 2 directed edges to join the following pair of vertices [2, 1] and [5, 2] makes the graph strongly connected. Hence, the minimum number of edges required is 2.

Approach: 

For a graph to be strongly connected, each vertex must have an in-degree and an out-degree of at least 1. Thus, the maximum number of incoming edges and the outgoing edges required to make the graph strongly connected is the minimum edges required to make it strongly connected. To do so, find the count of in-degrees and out-degrees of each vertex of the graph using DFS. If the in-degree or out-degree of a vertex is greater than 1, then consider it as only 1, and count the total in-degree and out-degree of the graph. The minimum edges required to make the graph strongly connected is max(N-total In-degree, N-total Out-degree).

Below is the implementation of the above approach:

C++
#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;

// Perform DFS to count the in and out degree of graph
void dfs(int ind, vector<vector<int>> &adj, vector<int> &vis, 
                    vector<int> &inDeg, vector<int> &outDeg) {

    // Mark the source as visited
    vis[ind] = 1;

    // Traversing adjacent nodes
    for (auto v : adj[ind]) {

        // Mark out-degree as 1
        outDeg[ind] = 1;

        // Mark in-degree as 1
        inDeg[v] = 1;

        // If not visited
        if (vis[v] == 0)

            // DFS Traversal on adjacent vertex
            dfs(v, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg);
    }
}

// Function to return minimum number of edges
// required to make the graph strongly connected
int findMinimumEdges(vector<int> &source, 
                vector<int> &dest, int n, int m) {
    
    // to store the adjacency List
    vector<vector<int>> adj(n + 1);

    // Create the Adjacency List
    for (int i = 0; i < m; i++)
        adj[source[i]].push_back(dest[i]);

    // Initialize the in-degree array
    vector<int> inDeg(n + 1, 0);

    // Initialize the out-degree array
    vector<int> outDeg(n + 1, 0);

    // Initialize the visited array
    vector<int> vis(n + 1, 0);

    // Perform DFS from all unvisited vertices
    for (int i = 1; i <= n; ++i)
        if (vis[i] == 0) 
            dfs(i, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg);

    // To store the result
    int minEdges = 0;

    // To store total count of in-degree
    // and out-degree
    int totalIn = 0;
    int totalOut = 0;

    // Find total in-degree
    // and out-degree
    for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
        if (inDeg[i] == 1)
            totalIn++;
        if (outDeg[i] == 1)
            totalOut++;
    }

    // Calculate the minimum
    // edges required
    minEdges = max(n - totalIn, n - totalOut);

    // Return the minimum edges
    return minEdges;
}

int main() {
    int n = 5, m = 5;
    vector<int> source = {1, 3, 1, 3, 4};
    vector<int> dest = {2, 2, 3, 4, 5};
    cout << findMinimumEdges(source, dest, n, m);
    return 0;
}
Java
import java.util.*;

class GfG {
    // Perform DFS to count the in and out degree of graph
    static void dfs(int ind, List<List<Integer>> adj, int[] vis, 
                    int[] inDeg, int[] outDeg) {

        // Mark the source as visited
        vis[ind] = 1;

        // Traversing adjacent nodes
        for (int v : adj.get(ind)) {

            // Mark out-degree as 1
            outDeg[ind] = 1;

            // Mark in-degree as 1
            inDeg[v] = 1;

            // If not visited
            if (vis[v] == 0)

                // DFS Traversal on adjacent vertex
                dfs(v, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg);
        }
    }

    // Function to return minimum number of edges
    // required to make the graph strongly connected
    static int findMinimumEdges(List<Integer> source, 
                List<Integer> dest, int n, int m) {
        
        // to store the adjacency List
        List<List<Integer>> adj = new ArrayList<>();
        for (int i = 0; i <= n; i++) 
            adj.add(new ArrayList<>());

        // Create the Adjacency List
        for (int i = 0; i < m; i++) 
            adj.get(source.get(i)).add(dest.get(i));

        // Initialize the in-degree array
        int[] inDeg = new int[n + 1];

        // Initialize the out-degree array
        int[] outDeg = new int[n + 1];

        // Initialize the visited array
        int[] vis = new int[n + 1];

        // Perform DFS from all unvisited vertices
        for (int i = 1; i <= n; ++i)
            if (vis[i] == 0) 
                dfs(i, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg);

        // To store the result
        int minEdges = 0;

        // To store total count of in-degree
        // and out-degree
        int totalIn = 0;
        int totalOut = 0;

        // Find total in-degree
        // and out-degree
        for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
            if (inDeg[i] == 1)
                totalIn++;
            if (outDeg[i] == 1)
                totalOut++;
        }

        // Calculate the minimum
        // edges required
        minEdges = Math.max(n - totalIn, n - totalOut);

        // Return the minimum edges
        return minEdges;
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        int n = 5, m = 5;
        List<Integer> source = Arrays.asList(1, 3, 1, 3, 4);
        List<Integer> dest = Arrays.asList(2, 2, 3, 4, 5);
        System.out.println(findMinimumEdges(source, dest, n, m));
    }
}
Python
# Perform DFS to count the in and out degree of graph
def dfs(ind, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg):
    # Mark the source as visited
    vis[ind] = 1

    # Traversing adjacent nodes
    for v in adj[ind]:
        # Mark out-degree as 1
        outDeg[ind] = 1

        # Mark in-degree as 1
        inDeg[v] = 1

        # If not visited
        if vis[v] == 0:
            # DFS Traversal on adjacent vertex
            dfs(v, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg)


# Function to return minimum number of edges
# required to make the graph strongly connected
def findMinimumEdges(source, dest, n, m):
    # to store the adjacency List
    adj = [[] for _ in range(n + 1)]

    # Create the Adjacency List
    for i in range(m):
        adj[source[i]].append(dest[i])

    # Initialize the in-degree array
    inDeg = [0] * (n + 1)

    # Initialize the out-degree array
    outDeg = [0] * (n + 1)

    # Initialize the visited array
    vis = [0] * (n + 1)

    # Perform DFS from all unvisited vertices
    for i in range(1, n + 1):
        if vis[i] == 0:
            dfs(i, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg)

    # To store the result
    minEdges = 0

    # To store total count of in-degree
    # and out-degree
    totalIn = 0
    totalOut = 0

    # Find total in-degree
    # and out-degree
    for i in range(1, n + 1):
        if inDeg[i] == 1:
            totalIn += 1
        if outDeg[i] == 1:
            totalOut += 1

    # Calculate the minimum
    # edges required
    minEdges = max(n - totalIn, n - totalOut)

    # Return the minimum edges
    return minEdges


if __name__ == "__main__":
    n = 5
    m = 5
    source = [1, 3, 1, 3, 4]
    dest = [2, 2, 3, 4, 5]
    print(findMinimumEdges(source, dest, n, m))
C#
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class GfG {
    // Perform DFS to count the in and out degree of graph
    static void Dfs(int ind, List<int>[] adj, int[] vis, 
                    int[] inDeg, int[] outDeg) {

        // Mark the source as visited
        vis[ind] = 1;

        // Traversing adjacent nodes
        foreach (var v in adj[ind]) {

            // Mark out-degree as 1
            outDeg[ind] = 1;

            // Mark in-degree as 1
            inDeg[v] = 1;

            // If not visited
            if (vis[v] == 0)

                // DFS Traversal on adjacent vertex
                Dfs(v, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg);
        }
    }

    // Function to return minimum number of edges
    // required to make the graph strongly connected
    static int FindMinimumEdges(List<int> source, 
                List<int> dest, int n, int m) {

        // to store the adjacency List
        List<int>[] adj = new List<int>[n + 1];
        for (int i = 0; i <= n; i++) 
            adj[i] = new List<int>();

        // Create the Adjacency List
        for (int i = 0; i < m; i++) 
            adj[source[i]].Add(dest[i]);

        // Initialize the in-degree array
        int[] inDeg = new int[n + 1];

        // Initialize the out-degree array
        int[] outDeg = new int[n + 1];

        // Initialize the visited array
        int[] vis = new int[n + 1];

        // Perform DFS from all unvisited vertices
        for (int i = 1; i <= n; ++i)
            if (vis[i] == 0) 
                Dfs(i, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg);

        // To store the result
        int minEdges = 0;

        // To store total count of in-degree
        // and out-degree
        int totalIn = 0;
        int totalOut = 0;

        // Find total in-degree
        // and out-degree
        for (int i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
            if (inDeg[i] == 1)
                totalIn++;
            if (outDeg[i] == 1)
                totalOut++;
        }

        // Calculate the minimum
        // edges required
        minEdges = Math.Max(n - totalIn, n - totalOut);

        // Return the minimum edges
        return minEdges;
    }

    static void Main(string[] args) {
        int n = 5, m = 5;
        List<int> source = new List<int> {1, 3, 1, 3, 4};
        List<int> dest = new List<int> {2, 2, 3, 4, 5};
        Console.WriteLine(FindMinimumEdges(source, dest, n, m));
    }
}
JavaScript
// Perform DFS to count the in and out degree of graph
function dfs(ind, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg) {
    // Mark the source as visited
    vis[ind] = 1;

    // Traversing adjacent nodes
    for (let v of adj[ind]) {
        // Mark out-degree as 1
        outDeg[ind] = 1;

        // Mark in-degree as 1
        inDeg[v] = 1;

        // If not visited
        if (vis[v] === 0)
            // DFS Traversal on adjacent vertex
            dfs(v, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg);
    }
}

// Function to return minimum number of edges
// required to make the graph strongly connected
function findMinimumEdges(source, dest, n, m) {
    // to store the adjacency List
    const adj = Array.from({ length: n + 1 }, () => []);

    // Create the Adjacency List
    for (let i = 0; i < m; i++) 
        adj[source[i]].push(dest[i]);

    // Initialize the in-degree array
    const inDeg = Array(n + 1).fill(0);

    // Initialize the out-degree array
    const outDeg = Array(n + 1).fill(0);

    // Initialize the visited array
    const vis = Array(n + 1).fill(0);

    // Perform DFS from all unvisited vertices
    for (let i = 1; i <= n; i++) 
        if (vis[i] === 0) 
            dfs(i, adj, vis, inDeg, outDeg);

    // To store the result
    let minEdges = 0;

    // To store total count of in-degree
    // and out-degree
    let totalIn = 0;
    let totalOut = 0;

    // Find total in-degree
    // and out-degree
    for (let i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
        if (inDeg[i] === 1) 
            totalIn++;
        if (outDeg[i] === 1) 
            totalOut++;
    }

    // Calculate the minimum
    // edges required
    minEdges = Math.max(n - totalIn, n - totalOut);

    // Return the minimum edges
    return minEdges;
}

const n = 5, m = 5;
const source = [1, 3, 1, 3, 4];
const dest = [2, 2, 3, 4, 5];
console.log(findMinimumEdges(source, dest, n, m));

Output
2

Time Complexity: O(n + m) as the time time complexity of DFS is O(V + E) where, V is vertices and E is edges.
Auxiliary Space: O(n)

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