Simple Heuristics
Simple heuristics are problem-solving strategies or rules of thumb that provide quick, approximate solutions to complex problems, often sacrificing optimality for speed and simplicity. They are based on experience, intuition, or common sense rather than exhaustive analysis, making them useful in situations with limited time, information, or computational resources. In software development, they are applied in areas like algorithm design, debugging, and decision-making to efficiently handle uncertainty or complexity.
Developers should learn and use simple heuristics when dealing with NP-hard problems, real-time systems, or scenarios where perfect solutions are computationally infeasible or unnecessary, such as in game AI, scheduling, or resource allocation. They are also valuable for rapid prototyping, initial problem exploration, and as fallbacks when more sophisticated methods fail, helping to balance performance with development effort and maintainability.