Heuristics Glossary

Browse 4 heuristics terms defined in plain English, from the cultural dictionary of computing.

4 Heuristics Terms

80/20 Rule
A heuristic based on the Pareto principle suggesting that a small portion of causes often drives a large portion of outcomes, commonly framed as eighty percent...
Duck Test
An informal heuristic captured by the idea that if something looks and behaves like a duck, it is probably a duck. Engineers use it when pattern recognition is...
Golden Ratio Business
A heuristic phrase for a business whose growth, efficiency, and margins feel unusually well balanced rather than over-optimized on a single dimension. It is...
Three Laws
A joking or serious set of core rules that supposedly govern a system, tool, or team. In engineering slang, invoking three laws usually means people are trying...

Related Topics