Informed Search

Algo
Maqsood Ahmad
Informed Search Algorithm

• So far we have talked about the uninformed search algorithms which

looked through search space for all possible solutions of the problem
without having any additional knowledge about search space.
• But informed search algorithm contains an array of knowledge such
as how far we are from the goal, path cost, how to reach to goal
node, etc. This knowledge help agents to explore less to the search
space and find more efficiently the goal node.
• The informed search algorithm is more useful for large search space.
Informed search algorithm uses the idea of heuristic, so it is also
called Heuristic search.
Heuristics function
• Heuristic is a function which is used in Informed Search, and it finds
the most promising path. It takes the current state of the agent as its
input and produces the estimation of how close agent is from the
goal.
• The heuristic method, however, might not always give the best
solution, but it guaranteed to find a good solution in reasonable time
• Heuristic function estimates how close a state is to the goal. It is
represented by h(n), and it calculates the cost of an optimal path
between the pair of states. The value of the heuristic function is
always positive.
Heuristics function
• Heuristic is a function which is used in Informed Search, and it finds the most
promising path. It takes the current state of the agent as its input and produces
the estimation of how close agent is from the goal.
• The heuristic method, however, might not always give the best solution, but it
guaranteed to find a good solution in reasonable time
• Heuristic function estimates how close a state is to the goal. It is represented
by h(n), and it calculates the cost of an optimal path between the pair of states.
The value of the heuristic function is always positive.
• h(n) <= h*(n)
• Here h(n) is heuristic cost, and h*(n) is the estimated cost. Hence heuristic
cost should be less than or equal to the estimated cost.
Heuristics function
• Heuristic is a function which is used in Informed Search, and it finds the most
promising path. It takes the current state of the agent as its input and produces
the estimation of how close agent is from the goal.
• The heuristic method, however, might not always give the best solution, but it
guaranteed to find a good solution in reasonable time
• Heuristic function estimates how close a state is to the goal. It is represented
by h(n), and it calculates the cost of an optimal path between the pair of states.
The value of the heuristic function is always positive.
• h(n) <= h*(n)
• Here h(n) is heuristic cost, and h*(n) is the estimated cost. Hence heuristic
cost should be less than or equal to the estimated cost.
Pure Heuristic Search
• Pure heuristic search is the simplest form of heuristic search
algorithms.
• It expands nodes based on their heuristic value h(n).
• It maintains two lists, OPEN and CLOSED list. In the CLOSED list, it
places those nodes which have already expanded and in the OPEN
list, it places nodes which have yet not been expanded.
• On each iteration, each node n with the lowest heuristic value is
expanded and generates all its successors and n is placed to the
closed list. The algorithm continues unit a goal state is found.
Best First Search Algorithm(Greedy
search)
• Greedy best-first search algorithm always selects the path which appears
best at that moment. It is the combination of depth-first search and
breadth-first search algorithms.
• It uses the heuristic function and search. Best-first search allows us to take
the advantages of both algorithms.
• With the help of best-first search, at each step, we can choose the most
promising node. In the best first search algorithm, we expand the node
which is closest to the goal node and the closest cost is estimated by
heuristic function, i.e.
• f(n)= h(n)
• Were, h(n)= estimated cost from node n to the goal.
Best First Search Algorithm(Greedy
search)
• Greedy best-first search algorithm always selects the path which appears
best at that moment. It is the combination of depth-first search and
breadth-first search algorithms.
• It uses the heuristic function and search. Best-first search allows us to take
the advantages of both algorithms.
• With the help of best-first search, at each step, we can choose the most
promising node. In the best first search algorithm, we expand the node
which is closest to the goal node and the closest cost is estimated by
heuristic function, i.e.
• f(n)= h(n)
• Were, h(n)= estimated cost from node n to the goal.
Best first search algorithm
• Step 1: Place the starting node into the OPEN list.
• Step 2: If the OPEN list is empty, Stop and return failure.
• Step 3: Remove the node n, from the OPEN list which has the lowest value of h(n), and
places it in the CLOSED list.
• Step 4: Expand the node n, and generate the successors of node n.
• Step 5: Check each successor of node n, and find whether any node is a goal node or
not. If any successor node is goal node, then return success and terminate the search,
else proceed to Step 6.
• Step 6: For each successor node, algorithm checks for evaluation function f(n), and
then check if the node has been in either OPEN or CLOSED list. If the node has not
been in both list, then add it to the OPEN list.
• Step 7: Return to Step 2.
Best first search algorithm
Advantages:
• Best first search can switch between BFS and DFS by gaining the
advantages of both the algorithms.
• This algorithm is more efficient than BFS and DFS algorithms.
Disadvantages:
• It can behave as an unguided depth-first search in the worst case
scenario.
• It can get stuck in a loop as DFS.
• This algorithm is not optimal.
Best first search algorithm
Best first search algorithm
In this search example, we are using two lists which are OPEN and CLOSED Lists. Following are the
iteration for traversing the above example.
Best first search algorithm
Expand the nodes of S and put in the CLOSED list
Initialization: Open [A, B], Closed [S]

Iteration 1: Open [A], Closed [S, B]

Iteration 2: Open [E, F, A], Closed [S, B]

: Open [E, A], Closed [S, B, F]

Iteration 3: Open [I, G, E, A], Closed [S, B, F]

: Open [I, E, A], Closed [S, B, F, G]

Hence the final solution path will be: S----> B----->F----> G

Best first search algorithm
Time Complexity: The worst case time complexity of Greedy best first search is O(bm).

Space Complexity: The worst case space complexity of Greedy best first search is O(b m). Where, m is the
maximum depth of the search space.

Complete: Greedy best-first search is also incomplete, even if the given state space is finite.

Optimal: Greedy best first search algorithm is not optimal.