In order to know the meaning of the term heuristics, it is necessary, first of all, to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we have to explain that it derives from Greek since it is the result of the sum of several lexical components of said language:
-The verb “eúr”, which can be translated as “search” or “follow”.
-The “-istikós” component, which is used to shape adjectives.
Likewise, we have to emphasize that this is cultism.
The concept refers to the technique aimed at investigation, investigation or discovery .
The heuristic, therefore, can be a search for sources or documentation . In certain sciences , the notion is linked to the application of methodologies that are not rigorous with the intention of finding solutions.
Depending on the context, heuristics can appear as a noun or as an adjective. In the first case, it refers to the discipline focused on discoveries. As an adjective, it can describe the method or strategy that aims to find something.
It is possible, therefore, to understand heuristics in different ways. At a general level, it is what provides rules or paths to propose a hypothesis and generate a solution.
Heuristic ability is one of the most important qualities of the human being . People, through the use of creativity and reasoning and exploiting the knowledge obtained through experience, can solve different kinds of problems.
In addition to all of the above, we cannot ignore the existence of what is known as the representativeness heuristic. This term refers to a rule that attempts to determine the probability of one event (B) taking into account another (A).
Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman were the psychologists who developed this concept during the 1970s, in which factors such as randomness and similarity become especially relevant.
In the same way, it is also important that we know that there is what is called simulation heuristic. We can establish that this is an intuitive method that is used with the clear objective of “predicting” a future. To achieve this, what it does is from calculating what are conditional probabilities to diagnosing the probability of a specific effect occurring, through determining what could be diagnoses that are contrary to the facts.
In the field of engineering , the method that is based on experience to resolve design conflicts is called heuristics. The use of heuristics helps to solve the dilemma more quickly by starting from similar problems that are already known .
Antiviruses used in computing also use heuristics. In this case, they are the techniques that are put in place to recognize malicious codes that are not part of the software database. Thus, heuristics constitute an automatic defense against the emergence of new codes ( viruses ).