I would like to solve a TSP
problem with benefit and cost.
Let us say A salesman has a set of customers to visit each visit will take cost of moving time from the current location to the location of a customer and as well as visit duration. Meanwhile the benefit is a numeric score that a Salesman will get from visiting a customer. The salesman has a time limitation, hence he should visit a set of customers (not necessary all) that gives him maximum net benefit = score - travel time
. The Salesman must return to his initial location in the given time.
A*
expands the node with least cost function f(n) = g(n) + h(n)
and return the path to the goal which has the lowest cost.
If I can determine the g(n)
as the net benefit aforementioned. What is the best way to determine h(n)
?
I know this is a combinatorial problem similar to orienteering problem.
Is it possible to solve this problem using A*
?
Actually the path does not need to be optimal. I just want to have a path that gives the maximum net benefit (reverse to the cost in A*
)