Search Algorithms in Artificial Intelligence
1. Generate and Test
Generate and Test is one of the simplest problem-solving techniques in AI. It is a brute-force strategy that
involves generating possible solutions and testing each to see whether it satisfies the problem constraints.
- It does not use any prior knowledge about the problem domain.
- This method systematically generates each possible solution and evaluates it using a test or goal condition.
- If a solution satisfies the condition, it is accepted.
Example:
Guessing a password by trying every possible combination and testing each against the correct password.
Applications:
- Puzzle solving
- Basic configuration testing
Limitations:
- Inefficient for large problem spaces
- Time-consuming without any guidance
2. Hill Climbing
Hill Climbing is a local search algorithm that continuously moves towards increasing value, hoping to reach
the global maximum.
Key Characteristics:
- Uses a heuristic function to measure quality of states.
- Starts from an initial state and moves to a neighbor with higher value.
- Stops when no neighbor has a better value (local maximum).
Search Algorithms in Artificial Intelligence
Variants:
- Simple Hill Climbing
- Steepest-Ascent Hill Climbing
- Stochastic Hill Climbing
Problems Faced:
- Local maxima: Peak that is lower than the global maximum.
- Plateaus: Flat area with no gradient to guide movement.
- Ridges: Requires multiple moves to ascend.
Use Cases:
- Optimization problems
- Robotics (e.g., robot path tuning)
3. Heuristic Search
Heuristic Search refers to strategies that improve search performance using domain-specific knowledge in
the form of heuristic functions.
Definition:
- A heuristic is a rule of thumb that estimates how close a state is to the goal.
- It allows the algorithm to prioritize paths that are likely to lead to solutions.
Examples:
- Chess engines estimating good moves
- Route planning based on estimated travel time
Benefits:
- Reduces search time by ignoring unlikely paths
- Makes large problems solvable efficiently
Search Algorithms in Artificial Intelligence
Challenges:
- Quality of the heuristic impacts performance and correctness
- Requires careful design for each domain
4. Means-End Analysis
Means-End Analysis is a problem-solving strategy where the system breaks down a large problem into
smaller sub-problems (subgoals) and applies operators that reduce the difference between the current and
goal state.
Working Steps:
1. Compare current and goal state.
2. Identify key differences.
3. Select an operation that reduces the difference.
4. Apply the operation and repeat.
Advantages:
- Focused approach to goal achievement
- Reduces unnecessary exploration
- Useful in planning systems
Examples:
- STRIPS planning in robotics
- Automated theorem proving
5. Greedy Best-First Search
Greedy Best-First Search is a search strategy that always selects the node that appears closest to the goal,
based only on the heuristic function `h(n)`.
Search Algorithms in Artificial Intelligence
Features:
- Fast and uses a priority queue ordered by `h(n)`
- Ignores the cost of the path taken so far
Strengths:
- Quick to find a solution when heuristics are accurate
- Memory efficient compared to exhaustive search
Weaknesses:
- Not guaranteed to find the best path (non-optimal)
- May get stuck in loops without proper tracking
Use Cases:
- Games (simple decision-making)
- Basic route planning
6. A* Search
A* Search is one of the most powerful informed search algorithms. It combines the advantages of both
Uniform Cost Search and Greedy Best-First Search.
Formula:
f(n) = g(n) + h(n)
- g(n): actual cost from start to node n
- h(n): estimated cost from node n to the goal
Features:
- Uses a priority queue ordered by f(n)
- Finds optimal paths if h(n) is admissible and consistent
Search Algorithms in Artificial Intelligence
Applications:
- GPS navigation (e.g., Google Maps)
- Pathfinding in video games and robotics
Limitations:
- High memory usage
- Performance highly dependent on the heuristic
Heuristic Design Tips:
- Must never overestimate (admissible)
- Should be consistent for best results
7. Best-First Search (General Framework)
Best-First Search is a general search strategy that selects the most promising node based on an evaluation
function f(n). Different search algorithms are derived by changing the definition of f(n).
Examples:
- Greedy Best-First: f(n) = h(n)
- A*: f(n) = g(n) + h(n)
- Uniform Cost: f(n) = g(n)
Advantages:
- Flexible and powerful
- Efficient path selection
Drawbacks:
- May use large memory
- Not optimal unless heuristics are well designed
Search Algorithms in Artificial Intelligence
Applications:
- AI decision-making
- Real-time game AI
- Robotics path planning
