A heuristic technique often called simply a heuristic,
is any approach to problem solving, learning, or discovery that employs
a practical method not guaranteed to be optimal or perfect, but
sufficient for the immediate goals. Where finding an optimal solution is
impossible or impractical, heuristic methods can be used to speed up
the process of finding a satisfactory solution. Heuristics can be mental
shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making a decision. Examples
of this method include using a rule of thumb, an educated guess, an intuitive judgment, stereotyping, profiling, or common sense.