How Does GPS Determine the Best Route?

[Likemath2014]

Hi there,

I am not sure if it's the right place to ask the question.
My question is how the GPS chooses the best way.
I mean where I can find something about its idea
Thx

 

[Borek]

Two separate parts to that.

1. GPS finds position using signal from GPS satellites.

2. Built in computer uses built in map to find the shortest path (searching the graph, see for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dijkstra's_algorithm).

 

[Likemath2014]

many thanks, my question is the second part

 

[OldEngr63]

Once the two end points are defined, this becomes an Operations Research optimization problem. You may want the shortest path, or you may want the fastest path (based on speed limits for each segment), or some other criterion. Operations Research is a well defined field dealing with such problems.