# Christmas Light Route Efficiency

This is a real situation (I hope it's ok that I post this here. If not, please suggest a better home). I have little knowledge of algorithms, but I know I can use one to solve this problem.

I'm looking for an answer, or an online resource that can help, or an algorithm I should research to help me find the route with the least overlap.

I have an enclosed structure with rafters. I want to hang christmas lights inside it, and I'm trying to figure out how to cover all the ceiling beams with lights while minimizing overlap.

Here's a rudimentary schematic of the structure:

• The pink circles are places I can hang the lights from
• The yellow dots are where the lights should be
• "Start" is the only available electrical outlet
• Each strand of lights is aprox 234 inches (droop and empty sections have been accounted for)

## What is the most efficient path(s) to minimize overlap?

Here's some things to keep in mind:

• Assume I have an infinite number of lights
• The beginning of a strand of lights has a male electric connector. The end has a female.
• The start (male) of one strand must intersect with the end (female) of another strand (for electricity).
• Multiple strands can start from the same point

Here's the XML of the diagram (you can use this in draw.io):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>