The Star Algorithm in Python – Best Path – A*

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Learn about the Star algorithm in Python, an optimization algorithm, and see how to create it line by line of code.

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The Star Algorithm in Python – Best Path – A*
In today's class, I'll introduce you to the A Star algorithm in Python. This algorithm, also known as A* or A Star, is an optimization tool that we'll use to find the best paths through a maze!

The idea is to use the maze we learned to build in the previous lesson so you can discover the most efficient route from the starting point to the end.

This process replicates the functionality of maps and GPS applications, which guide us along the fastest route between two points, considering the possible paths.

In this class, I will show you how the Star algorithm works in Python and how to build it step by step to discover the best path within the mazes that we learned to create previously.

So, download the available material and let's get started!

How the A Star Algorithm Works in Python – A Star (A*)
To understand how the Star Algorithm works and the logic behind it , we will use a 4-row, 4-column maze generated by the pyamaze library .

4 by 4 maze
In this maze, we want to leave the initial cell (4,4) and reach the final cell (1,1) . Within it, there are several possible paths, some more practical, quick and intuitive, others less intuitive and quick, and others that are unfeasible, such as going to a dead end.

In other words, when thinking about an algorithm that will explore the possibilities, we need to consider one that ignores useless options, saving time and processing irrelevant data.

Consider, for example, mapping and GPS apps like Google Maps and Waze . These apps don't consider all possible routes between point A and point B, but rather the feasible ones, determining the quickest and shortest ones.

If they considered all existing routes, it would take a very long time and processing.

To determine the best possible paths and, from them, the best route, these applications need algorithms like A* .

OA Estrela is an algorithm that optimizes these searches for the best routes through a method that takes into account the distance traveled plus an estimate of the remaining distance.

Going back to our maze example, The Star would consider how many cells we have already traversed and the estimated number of cells remaining to reach the end point. The sum of these two values ​​results in a cost for each cell in the maze.