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Heuristic Search
Solving complex problems efficiently by using rules of thumb to guide the search.
Why It Was Important
As computing power was highly limited, brute-force searching of solution spaces was impossible for chess or logic proofs. Heuristics—educated guesses or evaluation functions—allowed AI programs to selectively explore the most promising paths, forming the basis for algorithms like A* search.
Who Invented It
Various early AI researchers
A collaborative effort across the emerging AI community.
Applications
- Pathfinding (A*)
- Game Trees (Minimax)
- Optimization
Videos
A* (A Star) Search Algorithm - Computerphile
Computerphile