Definition · foundations
heuristic search
heuristic search is the term for Search guided by an estimate of which options are most likely to lead to a good result. You can spot heuristic search in practice when the record shows what the system observes, what choice it makes, and what changes next, without asking the reader to guess or trust a slogan.
157 definitions656 sourced recordsNamed source: ACL Anthology
Why does heuristic search matter?
A good estimate saves search effort, but a biased estimate can hide the path that actually works. For heuristic search, start with three checks: What can the system observe? What choice can it make? What changes after it acts? The answers should point to visible evidence, not a promise.
What does heuristic search look like?
A route planner explores roads with lower estimated travel time before testing longer alternatives. This example makes heuristic search visible by naming the actor, the action, and the result in practice. It is an illustration for readers, not a claim that every product behaves this way.
What is heuristic search easy to confuse with?
Heuristic search uses an estimate to guide exploration. Monte Carlo tree search uses sampled outcomes to allocate search. The closest entries here are graph of thoughts, human in the loop, search traversal. Compare their definitions with heuristic search before using the names as if they mean the same thing.
How certain is this definition?
This definition is provisional. ACL Anthology supports the version you see today, but a better or more direct source may change it. Open the cited page and check its date before you use this entry to choose a product, write a policy, set a safety control, or design a system.
Who introduced the term heuristic search?
We have not verified who first introduced heuristic search. The source supports a useful definition, but it may not be the earliest use. Until a dated primary record settles the question, we leave the origin open. A popular article or product page is not enough to name the person who coined a term.
What should you understand before heuristic search?
Read artificial intelligence (AI) first when heuristic search depends on a more basic idea or mechanism. The link gives you a useful route through the glossary. It does not mean every author teaches the subject in this order, so follow the source when the sequence matters.
What should this term help you answer?
Use heuristic search to ask what an agent can observe, decide, change, remember, or hand off. The questions below turn the definition into a practical check. They are prompts for your own work, not claims made by the source, so change them to fit the system you are examining.
- What can the system observe?
- What choice can it make?
- What changes after it acts?
Which source supports this definition of heuristic search?
ACL Anthology supports this working definition of heuristic search. We checked the link on 2026-07-12. Open the original record for its context, methods, limits, and publication details. The short explanation here is a guide to heuristic search; the linked source remains the evidence to inspect when the wording or boundary matters.
source foundheuristic searchChecked 2026-07-12→