A heuristic is a name given to an approach to a problem which employs a practical method that is not guaranteed to be perfect but proves sufficient to reach an approximate answer.
Referred to as a ârule of thumbâ.
In scenarios where finding optimal solutions is impractical or impossible (e.g. the Travelling Salesman Problem), heuristic methods can be used to speed up the process of finding a satisfactory solution (a good enough answer).
Heuristics can be mental shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making a decision.