Chapter 20
Considering Heuristics
IN THIS CHAPTER
Understanding when heuristics are useful to algorithms
Discovering how pathfinding can be difficult for a robot
Getting a fast start using the best-first search
Improving on Dijkstra’s algorithm and taking the best heuristic route using A*
As a concluding algorithm topic, this chapter completes the overview of heuristics started in Chapter 18 that describes heuristics as an effective means of using a local search to navigate neighboring solutions. Chapter 18 defines heuristics as educated guesses about a solution — that is, they are sets of rules of thumb pointing to the desired outcome, thus helping algorithms take the right steps toward it; however, heuristics alone can’t tell you exactly how to reach the solution.
The chapter starts by examining the different flavors of heuristics, some of which are quite popular now because of AI and robotics applications: swarm heuristics, metaheuristics; machine learning–based modeling; and heuristic routing. Next, the chapter discusses how heuristics are used by mobile robots to safely and ...
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