Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.

For K-12 Students · A* Pathfinding

A* Pathfinding for an autocomplete

Built for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework. Simulate an autocomplete live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Pathfinding (A* / Dijkstra)Live

grid search · draw walls

Controls

Drag on the grid to draw walls. A* uses a distance heuristic to head straight for the goal; Dijkstra explores blindly in all directions. Blue = start, pink = goal, green = shortest path.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

AlgorithmA*

Grid48×30

HeuristicManhattan

Governing equation

f (n) = g (n) + h (n), h (n) = ∣Δ x ∣ + ∣Δ y ∣

Reading this result: A* adds the Manhattan-distance heuristic to Dijkstra, so it aims straight at the goal and expands far fewer cells while still returning a shortest path.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for k-12 students?: Yes — this version of "A* Pathfinding for an autocomplete" is framed for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.