A* and D* Algorithms MCQs January 8, 2026August 9, 2024 by u930973931_answers 30 min Score: 0 Attempted: 0/30 Subscribe 1. What is the primary purpose of the A* algorithm? (A) Sorting elements (B) Image processing (C) Data compression (D) Pathfinding and graph traversal 2. Which heuristic function is commonly used in the A* algorithm? (A) All of the above (B) Euclidean distance (C) Chebyshev distance (D) Manhattan distance 3. In A*, what does the f(n) value represent? (A) The sum of the actual cost to reach n and the estimated cost to the goal (B) The estimated cost from node n to the goal (C) The cost to reach node n (D) The heuristic cost 4. Which of the following is true about the A* algorithm? (A) It is always optimal and complete (B) It is always optimal but not complete (C) It is complete but not always optimal (D) It is neither complete nor optimal 5. In the A* algorithm, what is the purpose of the heuristic function h(n)? (A) To calculate the path cost (B) To estimate the cost from node n to the goal (C) To store the parent node (D) To keep track of visited nodes 6. What type of search strategy does A* employ? (A) Best-first search (B) Breadth-first search (C) Depth-first search (D) Random search 7. Which property does the heuristic function h(n) need to guarantee that A* is optimal? (A) It needs to be zero (B) It needs to be random (C) It needs to be consistent (monotonic) (D) It needs to be exponential 8. What is the main advantage of using the D* algorithm over A*? (A) It provides a more detailed path (B) It is designed for dynamic environments (C) It is more efficient in static environments (D) It has better heuristic functions 9. In D*, what happens when an obstacle is detected in a previously explored area? (A) The algorithm recalculates the entire path from scratch (B) The algorithm updates only the affected part of the path (C) The algorithm ignores the obstacle (D) The algorithm stops and fails 10. What is the primary goal of the D Lite algorithm? (A) To improve pathfinding in static environments (B) To enhance the performance of A* (C) To provide a simpler and more efficient version of D* (D) To handle dynamic obstacle avoidance 11. Which function in the A* algorithm is used to track the cost of the path from the start node to the current node? (A) g(n) (B) h(n) (C) f(n) (D) c(n) 12. In A*, what is the role of the open list? (A) To store nodes that need to be explored (B) To store nodes that have been fully explored (C) To store nodes that are currently not reachable (D) To store nodes that are blocked by obstacles 13. Which of the following statements is true about D*? (A) It is used for offline pathfinding (B) It updates paths dynamically as new information becomes available (C) It requires a static map of the environment (D) It does not handle obstacles 14. What does the open list in A* contain? (A) Nodes that are yet to be expanded (B) Nodes that have been visited (C) Nodes that are part of the final path (D) Nodes that are unreachable 15. What is the key difference between A* and Dijkstra’s algorithm? (A) Dijkstra’s algorithm uses a heuristic to guide the search, while A* does not (B) A* uses a heuristic to guide the search, while Dijkstra’s algorithm does not (C) A* is less efficient than Dijkstra’s algorithm (D) Dijkstra’s algorithm is designed for dynamic environments, while A* is not 16. In the context of A*, what is a node? (A) A function used to calculate costs (B) A point in the search space representing a location or state (C) A path from the start to the goal (D) An obstacle in the environment 17. What is the purpose of the closed list in A*? (A) To store nodes that are yet to be expanded (B) To store nodes that have been fully explored (C) To store nodes that are blocked by obstacles (D) To store nodes that are part of the final path 18. Which algorithm is particularly useful in applications where the environment changes frequently? (A) A* (B) Dijkstra’s Algorithm (C) D* (D) Greedy Best-First Search 19. In A*, what does the h(n) function represent? (A) The cost of moving to node n (B) The total cost from the start node to node n (C) The estimated cost from node n to the goal node (D) The distance between two nodes 20. What does D* primarily optimize for? (A) Pathfinding in dynamic environments (B) Memory usage (C) Static pathfinding (D) Sorting of nodes 21. What does the term consistent heuristic mean in A*? (A) The heuristic function provides the same estimate for all nodes (B) The heuristic function is the same for every iteration (C) The heuristic function never overestimates the true cost (D) The heuristic function is always zero 22. Which of the following is NOT a feature of D*? (A) It requires a complete map of the environment (B) It updates paths when obstacles are detected (C) It adjusts to changes in the environment dynamically (D) It performs efficient re-planning in response to changes 23. How does A* determine the priority of nodes in the open list? (A) Based on the g(n) value (B) Based on the h(n) value (C) Based on the distance between nodes (D) Based on the f(n) value 24. In D*, what is the role of the delta parameter? (A) To specify the initial cost of a path (B) To define the amount by which paths are adjusted when new information is received (C) To set the goal node for the pathfinding (D) To control the number of nodes in the open list 25. What is the main advantage of D Lite over the original D*? (A) It is more complex and less efficient (B) It supports offline pathfinding (C) It can handle larger maps (D) It is faster and requires less memory 26. Which of the following is a common application of A*? (A) Network routing (B) Data compression (C) Image recognition (D) Game development for pathfinding 27. In A*, what is the function of g(n)? (A) The estimated cost from node n to the goal (B) The cost to reach node n from the start node (C) The heuristic estimate of the path cost (D) The total path cost from the start to the goal 28. What does path smoothing in A* aim to achieve? (A) To increase the length of the path (B) To make the path more direct and less jagged (C) To adjust the path dynamically (D) To improve the heuristic function 29. Which heuristic is suitable for grid-based pathfinding? (A) All of the above (B) Euclidean distance (C) Diagonal distance (D) Manhattan distance 30. Which aspect of D* allows it to adapt to changes? (A) The use of a static heuristic function (B) The reliance on precomputed paths (C) The use of a complete map of the environment (D) The ability to update the path incrementally