Please see the image below. (If you can't see the image please search "Bangalore to Palakkad" in Google Maps.) I am searching for a route from Bangalore to Palakkad. Google shows two routes. I think the first one is the shortest path and other is fastest. But look at the distance and time. 385 for the shortest (time to travel : 6hr 51 min) and 410 for fastest (time to travel : 6hr 7 min). How are they calculating this?
I think Google calculate a fastest route and then one or more alternatives, which may be shorter and slower, but not necessarily the shortest possible route.
Even the fastest may still have preference to using major roads compared to minor roads, even if the minor roads may be faster in some areas.
I think the alternatives are calculated by recalculating the route, but having a slightly higher cost on roads that has already been used in the first route. If that slightly higher cost still results in the same route, then no alternatives are suggested.
