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Heuristic vs Metaheuristic - What's the difference?

heuristic | metaheuristic |

As nouns the difference between heuristic and metaheuristic

is that heuristic is a heuristic method while metaheuristic is an experimental heuristic method for solving a general class of computational problems by combining user procedures in the hope of obtaining a more efficient or robust procedure.

As an adjective heuristic

is relating to general strategies or methods for solving problems.

heuristic

English

(wikipedia heuristic)

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Relating to general strategies or methods for solving problems.
  • (computing, of a method or algorithm) that solves a problem more quickly but is not certain to arrive at an optimal solution.
  • * {{quote-book, year=2002, author=Te Chiang Hu, Man-tak Shing, title=Combinatorial Algorithms citation
    • , passage=If a heuristic algorithm works for most of the input data or its maximum percentage error is tolerable, we may prefer the heuristic algorithm to an optimum algorithm that requires a long time.}}

    Derived terms

    * heuristically * heuristical

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A heuristic method.
  • The art of applying heuristic methods.

    • metaheuristic

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An experimental heuristic method for solving a general class of computational problems by combining user procedures in the hope of obtaining a more efficient or robust procedure.