in computer science, the edmonds–karp algorithm is an implementation of the ford–fulkerson method for computing the maximum flow in a flow network in formula_1formula_2 time. the algorithm was first published by yefim dinitz (whose name is also transliterated "e. a. dinic", notably as author of his early papers) in 1970 and independently published by jack edmonds and richard karp in 1972. dinic's algorithm includes additional techniques that reduce the running time to formula_3.