What is the primary difference between Dijkstra's algorithm and the A* search al
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the primary difference between Dijkstra's algorithm and the A* search algorithm?
A* uses heuristics, Dijkstra's does not
Dijkstra's is faster than A*
A* can only be used on trees
Dijkstra's algorithm is recursive
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the primary difference between Dijkstra's algorithm and the A* search algorithm?
Step 1: Understand what Dijkstra's algorithm does. It finds the shortest path from a starting point to all other points in a graph by exploring all possible paths equally.
Step 2: Understand what A* search algorithm does. It also finds the shortest path but uses a heuristic to estimate the distance to the goal, which helps it prioritize certain paths over others.
Step 3: Identify the key difference. Dijkstra's algorithm treats all paths the same and does not use any estimates, while A* uses heuristics to make smarter choices about which paths to explore first.
Step 4: Conclude that the primary difference is that A* is guided by heuristics, making it potentially faster in finding the shortest path compared to Dijkstra's algorithm.
