heuristic

Definitions

• (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.
• (computing) That solves a problem more quickly but is not certain to arrive at an optimal solution.
• (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.