Heuristics are conventions specified to help you solve problems. When a issue is large or complex, and the optimal solution is unclear, employing a heuristic lets you start making progress towards a resolution even though you can’t envision the entire path from your beginning point.
Suppose your goal is to drive to the store, but there’s no road to follow. An illustration of a heuristic would be: Head directly toward the store till you reach an obstacle you can’t cross. Whenever you contact such an obstacle, follow it around to the right till you’re able to head toward the store again. This isn’t the most levelheaded or comprehensive heuristic, but in a lot of cases it will work just fine, and you’ll finally reach the store.
