Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
A problem-solving strategy refers to a systematic approach or method used to solve problems and find solutions. It involves following a specific set of steps or procedures to achieve the desired outcome.
An algorithm is a specific problem-solving strategy that guarantees finding the correct solution if one exists by following a precise set of rules or steps.
A heuristic is a general problem-solving strategy that provides shortcuts or rules of thumb to quickly find solutions without guaranteeing their correctness.
Trial-and-error: Trial-and-error is an informal problem-solving strategy where multiple attempts are made until the correct solution is found through experimentation.