heuristic functions

A heuristic function is like a guide that helps decision-making algorithms estimate the remaining effort or cost to reach a goal from a current point. It offers an educated guess based on available information, allowing the algorithm to prioritize which paths to explore first. This approach speeds up problem-solving by avoiding unnecessary steps, much like how a hiker uses landmarks to estimate distance to the summit. Heuristics are essential in fields like artificial intelligence and search algorithms for efficient problem-solving.