[mythtv-users] using a* search algorithm to implement the scheduler.

[Dave Sherohman]

Replying to myself because I accidentally sent when I meant to
postpone...  :p

On Mon, Oct 17, 2005 at 07:03:33PM -0500, Dave Sherohman wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 17, 2005 at 12:14:28PM -0400, Steve Adeff wrote:
> > I don't quite understand what an a* algorithm is, let alone what it would do 
> > for MythTV?
> 
> a* is a search algorithm which is most commonly used (or at least
> most often talked about) in games and the like for determining the
> lowest-cost way of getting from point A to point B (pathfinding).
> Its basic mode of operation is by evaluating each potential move
> based on the sum of the cost to reach that position and the straight-
> line cost from that position to the destination.

Although that seems to be a*'s most common use, it can be applied to
other kinds of optimization problems as well, which is what Lucas was
suggesting for the mythtv scheduler.  Personally, I can't quite see
how he envisions it working (I've only seen a* used for getting from
A to B, while program scheduling needs to visit as many as possible
of A, B, C, D... without needing to start or end from any particular
points), but I'd be very interested to see how it would be done.

-- 
The freedoms that we enjoy presently are the most important victories of the
White Hats over the past several millennia, and it is vitally important that
we don't give them up now, only because we are frightened.
  - Eolake Stobblehouse (http://stobblehouse.com/text/battle.html)