Finding an optimal path on the terrain

Finding an optimal path on the terrain by using the forward dynamic programming algorithm.

The terrain is generated using MATLAB code from the following link:

http://knight.temple.edu/~lakaemper/courses/cis350_2004/assignments/assignment_02.htm

The car must travel as close as possible to the target coordinate. The travel time should be as short as possible. The car can only move one step at a time in eight directions: left, right, up, down, up-left, down-left, up-right, and down-right.

The cost function is defined as the difference in altitude and it is always positive numbers. During the travel, the car must avoid climb trajectories. However, descent trajectories does not benefit the car either. Thus, descent trajectories are not more preferable than flat trajectories.

A more generalized version of this topic has been made available at:

https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/100149-yadpf-yet-another-dynamic-programming-function