Optimal Path in Two and Three Dimensions

Abstract

We apply the Dijkstra algorithm to generate optimal paths between two given sites on a lattice representing a disordered energy landscape. We study the geometrical and energetic scaling properties of the optimal path where the energies are taken from a uniform distribution. Our numerical results for both two and three dimensions suggest that the optimal path for random uniformly distributed energies is in the same universality class as the directed polymers. We present physical realizations of polymers in disordered energy landscape for which this result is relevant.