scholarly journals Anytime Heuristic Search

2007 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 267-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Hansen ◽  
R. Zhou

We describe how to convert the heuristic search algorithm A* into an anytime algorithm that finds a sequence of improved solutions and eventually converges to an optimal solution. The approach we adopt uses weighted heuristic search to find an approximate solution quickly, and then continues the weighted search to find improved solutions as well as to improve a bound on the suboptimality of the current solution. When the time available to solve a search problem is limited or uncertain, this creates an anytime heuristic search algorithm that allows a flexible tradeoff between search time and solution quality. We analyze the properties of the resulting Anytime A* algorithm, and consider its performance in three domains; sliding-tile puzzles, STRIPS planning, and multiple sequence alignment. To illustrate the generality of this approach, we also describe how to transform the memory-efficient search algorithm Recursive Best-First Search (RBFS) into an anytime algorithm.

Author(s):  
Baokun He ◽  
Swair Shah ◽  
Crystal Maung ◽  
Gordon Arnold ◽  
Guihong Wan ◽  
...  

The following are two classical approaches to dimensionality reduction: 1. Approximating the data with a small number of features that exist in the data (feature selection). 2. Approximating the data with a small number of arbitrary features (feature extraction). We study a generalization that approximates the data with both selected and extracted features. We show that an optimal solution to this hybrid problem involves a combinatorial search, and cannot be trivially obtained even if one can solve optimally the separate problems of selection and extraction. Our approach that gives optimal and approximate solutions uses a “best first” heuristic search. The algorithm comes with both an a priori and an a posteriori optimality guarantee similar to those that can be obtained for the classical weighted A* algorithm. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zongyuan Lin ◽  
Sile Ma ◽  
Xiaojing Ma ◽  
Xiangyuan Jiang ◽  
Shuai Li

The Beetle Antennae Search (BAS) algorithm is a meta-heuristic search algorithm, which has efficient search capabilities. This paper presents two different variant algorithms based on the BAS algorithm, which are the BAS with fitness value (BASF) algorithm and BAS with local fast search (BASL) algorithm. The test results of 23 benchmark functions will be used to verify the reliability and accuracy of these algorithm. These benchmark functions include unimodal and multimodal high-dimensional functions, as well as fixed-dimensional multimodal functions. The test results show that the improved algorithm can search for the optimal solution globally and accurately with its own search strategy without environment parameters. Stability and accuracy are significantly improved while the calculation time does not change much.


2013 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 697-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Burns ◽  
W. Ruml ◽  
M. B. Do

In many applications of shortest-path algorithms, it is impractical to find a provably optimal solution; one can only hope to achieve an appropriate balance between search time and solution cost that respects the user's preferences. Preferences come in many forms; we consider utility functions that linearly trade-off search time and solution cost. Many natural utility functions can be expressed in this form. For example, when solution cost represents the makespan of a plan, equally weighting search time and plan makespan minimizes the time from the arrival of a goal until it is achieved. Current state-of-the-art approaches to optimizing utility functions rely on anytime algorithms, and the use of extensive training data to compute a termination policy. We propose a more direct approach, called Bugsy, that incorporates the utility function directly into the search, obviating the need for a separate termination policy. We describe a new method based on off-line parameter tuning and a novel benchmark domain for planning under time pressure based on platform-style video games. We then present what we believe to be the first empirical study of applying anytime monitoring to heuristic search, and we compare it with our proposals. Our results suggest that the parameter tuning technique can give the best performance if a representative set of training instances is available. If not, then Bugsy is the algorithm of choice, as it performs well and does not require any off-line training. This work extends the tradition of research on metareasoning for search by illustrating the benefits of embedding lightweight reasoning about time into the search algorithm itself.


Author(s):  
Jingwei Chen ◽  
Robert C. Holte ◽  
Sandra Zilles ◽  
Nathan R. Sturtevant

It is well-known that any admissible unidirectional heuristic search algorithm must expand all states whose f-value is smaller than the optimal solution cost when using a consistent heuristic. Such states are called “surely expanded” (s.e.). A recent study characterized s.e. pairs of states for bidirectional search with consistent heuristics: if a pair of states is s.e. then at least one of the two states must be expanded. This paper derives a lower bound, VC, on the minimum number of expansions required to cover all s.e. pairs, and present a new admissible front-to-end bidirectional heuristic search algorithm, Near-Optimal Bidirectional Search (NBS), that is guaranteed to do no more than 2VC expansions. We further prove that no admissible front-to-end algorithm has a worst case better than 2VC. Experimental results show that NBS competes with or outperforms existing bidirectional search algorithms, and often outperforms A* as well.


2011 ◽  
Vol 63-64 ◽  
pp. 686-689
Author(s):  
Xiao Min Li ◽  
Jian Ping Wang ◽  
Xin Ning

Robot path planning is one of the core parts of robot research fields. A * algorithm is a typical heuristic search algorithm in Artificial Intelligence. In this paper, the model of robot path planning is founded based on A* algorithm and raster model, thus the optimal path is found in the process of robot traversing. The simulation result shows the correctness and efficiency of the path planning.


Author(s):  
Tao Wu

For capacitated multi-item lot sizing problems, we propose a predictive search method that integrates machine learning/advanced analytics, mathematical programming, and heuristic search into a single framework. Advanced analytics can predict the probability that an event will happen and has been applied to pressing industry issues, such as credit scoring, risk management, and default management. Although little research has applied such technique for lot sizing problems, we observe that advanced analytics can uncover optimal patterns of setup variables given properties associated with the problems, such as problem attributes, and solution values yielded by linear programming relaxation, column generation, and Lagrangian relaxation. We, therefore, build advanced analytics models that yield information about how likely a solution pattern is the same as the optimum, which is insightful information used to partition the solution space into incumbent, superincumbent, and nonincumbent regions where an analytics-driven heuristic search procedure is applied to build restricted subproblems. These subproblems are solved by a combined mathematical programming technique to improve solution quality iteratively. We prove that the predictive search method can converge to the global optimal solution point. The discussion is followed by computational tests, where comparisons with other methods indicate that our approach can obtain better results for the benchmark problems than other state-of-the-art methods. Summary of Contribution: In this study, we propose a predictive search method that integrates machine learning/advanced analytics, mathematical programming, and heuristic search into a single framework for capacitated multi-item lot sizing problems. The advanced analytics models are used to yield information about how likely a solution pattern is the same as the optimum, which is insightful information used to divide the solution space into incumbent, superincumbent, and nonincumbent regions where an analytics-driven heuristic search procedure is applied to build restricted subproblems. These subproblems are solved by a combined mathematical programming technique to improve solution quality iteratively. We prove that the predictive search method can converge to the global optimal solution point. Through computational tests based on benchmark problems, we observe that the proposed approach can obtain better results than other state-of-the-art methods.


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