bit-Tech
Vol. 8 No. 2 (2025): bit-Tech

Comparative Analysis of Dijkstra and A* Algorithms for Determining the Shortest Route

Ardiansyah Ardiansyah (Universitas Pembangunan Panca Budi)
Abdul Muin Nasution (Randwick International Research and Analysis Institute)
Muhammad Iqbal (Universitas Pembangunan Panca Budi)



Article Info

Publish Date
10 Dec 2025

Abstract

This study presents a comparative analysis of Dijkstra and A* algorithms for determining the shortest route in an urban road network scenario, specifically from SMKN 9 Medan to Gramedia Gajah Mada, Medan. The road network is modeled as a weighted graph, where nodes represent key locations, and edges represent inter-node distances derived from Google Maps. Three alternative routes are evaluated based on inter-node distances and direct heuristic distances to the destination. Dijkstra’s algorithm, an uninformed search method, guarantees optimality by exhaustively exploring all possible paths with non-negative weights. In contrast, the A* algorithm incorporates a heuristic function that estimates the remaining distance to the goal, enhancing search efficiency by focusing on the most promising paths. Both algorithms are applied to the same graph data for a fair comparison, with performance metrics including total route distance, number of nodes explored, and computational efficiency. The results show that while both algorithms identify the same optimal route (A–B–E–G, 5.7 km), A* outperforms Dijkstra in terms of computational efficiency, exploring fewer nodes and requiring less computation time. These findings suggest that while Dijkstra remains reliable for smaller networks, A* is better suited for real-world navigation applications where efficiency and scalability are critical. This study provides empirical evidence supporting the use of heuristic-based algorithms in urban route planning systems.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

bt

Publisher

Subject

Computer Science & IT

Description

The bit-Tech journal was developed with the aim of accommodating the scientific work of Lecturers and Students, both the results of scientific papers and research in the form of literature study results. It is hoped that this journal will increase the knowledge and exchange of scientific ...