Dynamic fastest paths with multiple unique destinations (DynFast-MUD) — A specialized traveling salesman problem with intermediate cities

In this paper we present a fastest path algorithm that contains multiple unique destinations, which is a specialization of the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP) with intermediate cities. This algorithm can be used with Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) applications for determining the fastest route to travel to a set of destinations, such as required by delivery companies. The dynamic behavior of the algorithm is necessary for ITS applications since the amount of time to traverse a roadway in a vehicular network can change constantly. Assuming that all of the potential paths between all nodes in the transportation graph is known, the algorithm will determine the fastest route to a set of nodes in O(n³), where n is the number of nodes to visit. The algorithm was executed on theoretical and actual transportation graphs in FreeSim (http://www.freewaysimulator.com), and an analysis of the running time and a proof of the correctness of the algorithm are included in this paper.