This exercise involves designing a heuristic function that is better than the heuristic of Example 6.10 (page 240).

(a) For each of the forward and regression planners, test how effective each of the individual parts of the heuristic for Example 6.10 is, as well as the maximum. Explain why the results you observed occurred.

(b) Give an admissible heuristic function for the forward planner that expands fewer nodes than the forward planner does with that heuristic.

(c) Give an admissible heuristic function for the regression planner that expands fewer nodes than the regression planner does with that heuristic.

AIPython (aipython.org) has an an implementation of the heuristic that can be modified.