In algorithms, what is the purpose of a heuristic?

A heuristic is a problem-solving approach that is used particularly when finding an optimal solution is too resource-intensive or time-consuming. The main purpose of a heuristic is to facilitate a quicker resolution to a problem by identifying a satisfactory solution that may not be the absolute best but is sufficient for the given context. This approach is especially valuable in complex problems where the search space is vast and computing an exact solution could require an impractical amount of time or resources.

In many real-world applications, it is more important to have a good enough solution within a reasonable timeframe than to have a perfect solution that takes an excessive amount of time to compute. Heuristics enable solutions to be found that are practical and usable, even if they come with trade-offs regarding optimality or exactness.