Fastest cross-platform A* implementation?

Question

With so many implementations available, what is the fastest executing (least CPU intensive, smallest binary), cross-platform (Linux, Mac, Windows, iPhone) A* implementation for

Answer 1

Look at other path-finding algorithms (like Breath-First, Depth-First, Minimax, Negmax etc.) and weigh the positives and negatives for your scenario.

Boost also has an A-star implementation. Try following these instructions to build boost on iPhone, but it might not work for you: it is not a "full port" of boost and it might error out.

The following is from Algorithms in a Nutshell (Java, not C++ but maybe you'd like to port it):

public Solution search( INode initial, INode goal ) {
  // Start from the initial state
  INodeSet open = StateStorageFactory.create( StateStorageFactory.TREE );
  INode copy = initial.copy();
  scoringFunction.score( copy );
  open.insert( copy );

  // Use Hashtable to store states we have already visited.
  INodeSet closed = StateStorageFactory.create( StateStorageFactory. HASH );
  while( !open.isEmpty() ) {
    // Remove node with smallest evaluation function and mark closed.
    INode n = open.remove();

    closed.insert( n );

    // Return if goal state reached.
    if( n.equals( goal ) ) { return new Solution( initial, n ); }

    // Compute successor moves and update OPEN/CLOSED lists.
    DepthTransition trans = (DepthTransition)n.storedData();
    int depth = 1;

    if( trans ! = null ) { depth = trans.depth + 1; }

    DoubleLinkedList moves = n.validMoves();

    for( Iterator it = moves.iterator(); it.hasNext(); ) {
      IMove move = it.next();

      // Make move and score the new board state.
      INode successor = n.copy();
      move.execute( successor );

      // Record previous move for solution trace and compute
      // evaluation function to see if we have improved upon
      // a state already closed
      successor.storedData( new DepthTransition( move, n, depth ) );
      scoringFunction.score( successor );

      // If already visited, see if we are revisiting with lower
      // cost. If not, just continue; otherwise, pull out of closed
      // and process
      INode past = closed.contains( successor );

      if( past ! = null ) {
        if( successor.score() >= past.score() ) {
          continue;
        }

        // we revisit with our lower cost.
        closed.remove( past );
      }

      // place into open.
      open.insert( successor );
    }
  }

  // No solution.
  return new Solution( initial, goal, false );
}