Least cost path analysis

Least cost path analysis

Least cost path analysis is a distance analysis tool within GIS that
use the path between two location that costs the least to those
travelling along it to determine the most cost effective route
between a source and destination.
The objective is to find the least cost from a given source node to
all other nodes.
A least cost path analysis requires a
source raster,a cost raster,cost distance
measures, and an algorithm for deriving
the least accumulative cost path.
 The cost distance measure operation
•The cell with the lowest cost
distance is chosen from the active
cell list. Next, cells adjacent to the
chosen cell are activated and added
to the active cell list.

•Again, the lowest cost cell is chosen

from the list and its neighboring cells
are activated.
 Options for Least-Cost Path Analysis

least-cost path analysis is influenced by the cost raster, cost distance

measure, and algorithm for deriving the least-cost path.
The selection of cost factors and the weighting of each factor can
change the least-cost path.
When the terrain is used for deriving the least-cost path, the surface
is typically assumed to be uniform for all directions.
•the difficulty of overcoming the vertical elements such as uphill or
downhill.
•the difficulty of overcoming the horizontal elements such as
crosswinds.
ArcGIS uses the term path distance to describe the cost distance
based on the surface distance, vertical factor, and horizontal factor.
 Applications of Least-Cost Path Analysis

•Least-cost path analysis is useful for planning roads, pipelines, canals,

transmission lines, and trails.
•It can also be applied to wildlife movements.
•It is important for accessibility studies such as accessibility to
medical services geometric features of a network.
•least-cost path analysis has been used by Rees (2004) to locate
footpaths in mountainous areas.
Thank you