In computer science, A* (pronounced "A star" (listen)) is a computer algorithm that is widely used in pathfinding and graph traversal, the process of plotting an efficiently traversable path between points, called nodes. Noted for its performance and accuracy, it enjoys widespread use. Peter Hart, Nils Nilsson and Bertram Raphael of Stanford Research Institute (now SRI International) first described the algorithm in 1968. It is an extension of Edsger Dijkstra's 1959 algorithm. A* achieves better performance (with respect to time) by using heuristics.

A* uses a best-first search and finds a least-cost path from a given initial node to one goal node (out of one or more possible goals).

It uses a distance-plus-cost heuristic function (usually denoted Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): f(x) ) to determine the order in which the search visits nodes in the tree. The distance-plus-cost heuristic is a sum of two functions:

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).

The Failed to parse (Missing texvc executable; please see math/README to configure.): h(x)

Jacob Taio Cruz (born 23 April 1983) known professionally as Taio Cruz (Portuguese: [ˈtaj.ju ˈkɾujʃ]) is an English singer-songwriter, record producer, occasional rapper, and entrepreneur. In 2008, he released his debut album Departure, which Cruz wrote, arranged and produced himself. It achieved initial success in the United Kingdom and earned him a MOBO Award nomination. In June 2010, Cruz released his follow-up album Rokstarr, which includes the number one singles "Break Your Heart" and "Dynamite". Cruz has collaborated with Kesha and Fabolous on the single "Dirty Picture", as well as Kylie Minogue and Travie McCoy on his single "Higher". Additionally, Cruz penned and recorded the song "Telling the World" as the lead single from the soundtrack to the 2011 animated film Rio.

Cruz was born in London, to a Nigerian father and a Brazilian mother called Beatriz Vitoria Olivera Bennati, from Rio de Janeiro. He attended Bilton Grange, a private prep school in Rugby, Warwickshire.

Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato (born August 20, 1992) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress. Her earliest roles included Angela on Barney & Friends, before she became better known for her starring roles in the Camp Rock movies, as Sonny Munroe in the Disney sitcom Sonny with a Chance, and as the star of the 2009 movie Princess Protection Program. She is also involved in philanthropic activities through charity work and various social and environmental causes.

As a solo musical artist, Lovato released her debut album Don't Forget on September 23, 2008. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 89,000 copies in the first week. It has since shipped over 500,000 copies, earning a gold certification in the United States. Lovato released her second album, Here We Go Again, on July 21, 2009. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 108,000 copies in the first week. Her third studio album, Unbroken, was released on September 20, 2011 and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. She is working on her fourth studio album.

Kirk F Smith is an American bass player who performs on both the acoustic and electric basses. Born May 27, 1950 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kirk started playing bass at age 13 in Trenton, NJ. As a bass major, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education from The College of New Jersey, Trenton, NJ, 1972. He also taught, and was a Graduate Assistant at Temple University, College of Music, Philadelphia, PA, 1973-74.

Kirk studied with Richard Davis in New York while teaching music in public schools in New Jersey. During this time he performed with several resort house-bands in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, and the Catskills in New York State, backing up the many entertainment acts that came through daily. He spent two years on the road with show bands working from Toronto to the Bahamas.

Then Kirk joined the Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of Jimmy Henderson in 1976, which led to another year on the road, and included tours of the U.S., Europe, Scandinavia, England, and Japan. He also joined Stan Kenton's Band for the last tour that Stan would do in 1978.