A methodology for solving problems: problem modeling and heuristic generation

A methodology is given for modeling a problem and solving it using the A* algorithm. The heuristic used for A* is mechanically generated from the simplified problem, which is derived by relaxing each of the predicate formulas describing the rules and the goal state of the problem. The generated heuristic satisfies the conditions of admissibility and monotonicity. The methodology is applicable for solving general problems. The overall procedure for this methodology is illustrated by four well-known problems, namely, the eight-puzzle problem, the traveling salesman problem, the robot planning problem, and the consistent labeling problem. The values of the heuristics generated by this procedure are compared to the corresponding values of problem-oriented heuristics reported in the literature.<>