Målnode

Målnode is a term used in Swedish-language discussions of graph theory and network routing to denote a destination or target node within a graph or network. The word combines mål (goal, destination) with node. While not a universal term in formal graph theory, målnode appears in educational materials and domain-specific literature to emphasize the role of the endpoint in a path or flow.

In graph-theoretic terms, the målnode is the node that a path aims to reach from a starting point. In directed graphs, it often functions as a sink, receiving edges but not requiring outbound ones. In routing and pathfinding tasks, the objective is typically to determine a route from a source to the målnode, possibly under constraints such as cost, time, capacity, or deadlines.

Applications include navigation systems, network design, logistics planning, and workflow modeling, where identifying the målnode clarifies end goals and assessment criteria.

Terminology notes: målnode is not a standardized mathematical term; synonyms in English texts include destination node, goal node, or sink node. The precise interpretation depends on the graph's direction, weights, and the problem context.

See also: graph theory, node, sink node, destination, pathfinding algorithms such as Dijkstra's algorithm and A* .