LEAST COST PATH SELECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD

A least-cost path selection system includes a computing device. Each of a plurality of travel paths connects any two nodes among a plurality of nodes. The least-cost path is a travel path having the smallest objective function value among the plurality of travel paths. The computing device selects the least-cost path among the plurality of travel paths. A link path is defined as a path connecting any two adjacent nodes among the plurality of nodes. A loop path is defined as a closed path connecting at least three nodes among the plurality of nodes. A loop variable is a variable corresponding to the loop path and having a value and a direction. A link variable is a variable whose direction is determined by loop variables adjacent to the link path. A link cost is a constant corresponding to the link path. The computing device modifies at least one of the plurality of loop variables based on at least one of Loop-wise Route Representation (LRR) and a circuit analysis method to calculate a plurality of reference link variables, each being a link variable with a determined direction. The circuit analysis method includes at least one of Mesh Current Method (MCM), Nodal Analysis, and Numerical Method. The computing device modifies the values of the plurality of loop variables within the range where the directions of the plurality of reference link variables remain unchanged. The computing device selects the least-cost path using a linear objective function.