heuristic

/hjuหˆษนษชstษชk/

IPA: /HH Y UH0 R IH1 S T IH0 K/

noun
  1. 1

    A heuristic method.

  2. 2

    The art of applying heuristic methods.

  3. 3

    A technique designed for solving a problem when classic methods are too slow or fail to find any exact solution.

adjective
  1. 1

    (of an approach to problem solving, learning, or discovery) That employs a practical method not guaranteed to be optimal or perfect; not following or derived from any theory.

  2. 2

    (of a method or algorithm) That solves a problem more quickly but is not certain to arrive at an optimal solution.

  3. 3

    (of an argument) That reasons from the value of a method or principle that has been shown by experimental investigation to be a useful aid in learning, discovery and problem-solving.

Source: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/heuristic