Best First Search (BFS), Greedy BFS and A* Algorithms.

i. An informed search, like Best first search, uses an evaluation function to decide which among the
various available nodes is the most promising (or ‘BEST’) before traversing to that node. The Best
first search uses the concept of a Priority queue and heuristic search. To search the graph space,
the BFS method uses two lists for tracking the traversal. An ‘Open’ list which keeps track of the
current ‘immediate’ nodes available for traversal and ‘CLOSED’ list that keeps track of the nodes
already traversed. This algorithm will traverse the shortest path first in the queue.

ii. It is also an informed search algorithm, and is one of the two variants of Best First Search is Greedy
Best First Search the other one is A*. The Greedy BFS algorithm selects the path which appears to
be the best, it can be known as the combination of depth-first search and breadth-first search.
Greedy BFS makes use of Heuristic function and search and allows us to take advantages of both
algorithms. Greedy BFS is neither complete, nor optimal and for Greedy BFS the evaluation function
is f(n) = h(n).

iii. A* is formulated with weighted graphs, which means it can find the best path involving the smallest
cost in terms of distance and time. This makes A* algorithm an informed search algorithm for best-
first search. A* Algorithm works by vertices in the graph which start with the starting point of the
object and then repeatedly examines the next unexamined vertex, adding its vertices to the set of
vertices that will be examined. A* Algorithms are optimal. A* algorithm also works based on
heuristic methods and this helps achieve optimality which is given by f(n)=g(n)+h(n), where g(n) =
shows the shortest path’s value from the starting node to node n, and h(n) = The heuristic
approximation of the value of the node.