Greedy Best-First Search
The short answer · 14 words
In short
Greedy Best-First Search extends the state with the smallest estimated distance to the target.
Flow-alerta.cab (2026): Greedy Best-First Search. https://flow-alerta.cab/en/glossar/greedy-best-first-search. Editorially reviewed on: 10 October 2026.
How much detail would you like?
Practical
It is useful for navigation and planning when fast, usable solutions are more important than optimum solutions.
Hypothetical example: A route prototype compares GBFS with A* for runtime and path quality.
Compare runtime and solution quality with A* or a suitable baseline on your planning cases.
At a glance
- Core
- The priority is based only on the heuristic h(n), not on the previous path costs. This can be fast, but does not guarantee optimal paths or completeness without further ado.
- Use
- It is useful for navigation and planning when fast, usable solutions are more important than optimum solutions.
- Example
- Hypothetical example: A route prototype compares GBFS with A* for runtime and path quality.
- Limits
- Confuse with A*; overlook previous path costs; ignore cycles, search limits and ties. Even a permissible heuristic does not guarantee an optimal way for GBFS.
Questions about this term
Does GBFS take into account previous costs?
No.
Does it find the shortest way?
Not guaranteed.
All details and background
The priority is based only on the heuristic h(n), not on the previous path costs. This can be fast, but does not guarantee optimal paths or completeness without further ado.
ELI5 – Explained simply
The search always tracks the most promising clue at the moment.
Why it matters in practice
It is useful for navigation and planning when fast, usable solutions are more important than optimum solutions.
Example
Hypothetical example: A route prototype compares GBFS with A* for runtime and path quality.
Pitfalls and limits
- Confuse with A*; overlook previous path costs; ignore cycles, search limits and ties. Even a permissible heuristic does not guarantee an optimal way for GBFS.
Origin & history
Greedy Best-First Search belongs to the classical heuristic search and is systematically described in the author textbook of Poole and Mackworth.
Use in mid-sized companies
- Compare runtime and solution quality with A* or a suitable baseline on your planning cases.
Related terms
- Heuristics
- A*
- Best-First Search
- Graph search
- Dijkstra
Matching Flow-alerta service
AI opportunity analysis & roadmapAI consulting: Examine tasks, data and prerequisites of a possible AI use case.Matching tool / use case
View use casesGreedy Best-First Search with priority queue; heuristics, visit marking and comparison with A*.Sources
Quellenprüfung: 10.10.2026. Definition und dokumentierte Einordnung abgeglichen; Beispiele beschreiben mögliche Anwendungen.
Editorially reviewed on: