A path in a network can be defined as a series of connected activities from the
start to the end of the project. All activities (and consequently, all paths) must
be completed to finish the project. Table 2.3 enumerates all possible paths of the
example network of Fig. 2.12, with their corresponding total duration.
The earliest possible completion time of the project is equal to the longest path in
the network. This path, referred to as the critical path, determines the overall project
duration. Care must be taken to keep these activities on schedule, since delays in any
of these activities result in a violation of the entire project duration.
The clever reader immediately recognizes the basic principle