What is the main objective of Dijkstra's algorithm?

Dijkstra's algorithm is primarily designed to find the shortest path from a starting vertex to all other vertices in a graph that can have weighted edges. It works by iteratively selecting the vertex with the smallest tentative distance, updating the distances to its neighboring vertices, and marking it as visited. This method is particularly effective for graphs where the edges have non-negative weights, ensuring that the shortest paths can be computed accurately.

By focusing on minimizing the total weight of the paths taken, Dijkstra's algorithm efficiently determines the shortest distances, making it suitable for navigation, routing, and various optimization problems in computer science. The term "weighted graph" highlights the algorithm's reliance on edge weights to establish path distances, distinguishing it from other algorithms that may deal with different properties or objectives, such as the longest path or all possible paths.