A recurrent neural-network for solving the shortest-path problem

The shortest path problem is the classical combinatorial optimization problem arising in numerous planning and designing contexts. In this paper, a recurrent neural network for solving the shortest path problem is presented. The recurrent neural network is able to generate optimal solutions to the shortest path problem. The performance of the recurrent neural network is demonstrated by means of three illustrative examples. The recurrent neural network is shown to be capable of generating the shortest path and suitable for electronic implementation.