title: "A* Pathfinding & Graph Algorithms" description: "From BFS, DFS to Dijkstra and A* search, implement pathfinding with NetworkX and Pygame." duration: "120 minutes" difficulty: "Intermediate"
A* Pathfinding & Graph Algorithms
Have you ever wondered...
How does Google Maps find the fastest route? How do game enemies navigate around obstacles to chase you? How does Uber match drivers in seconds?
The answer: Graph Algorithms and Pathfinding.
Course Overview
Chapter 1: Graph Theory & NetworkX
Build graphs, compute degree, centrality, shortest path.
Chapter 2: BFS & DFS
BFS for shortest paths (by edge count), DFS for topological sorting.
Chapter 3: Dijkstra
Standard solution for weighted graph shortest paths.
Chapter 4: A* Search
Heuristic search - practical choice for games and navigation.
Chapter 5: Pathfinding API
Package algorithms into FastAPI RESTful service.
Chapter 6: Large-Scale Optimization
Jump Point Search, hierarchical search for massive graphs.