Which term describes solving problems with a single correct answer using a fixed procedure?

Which term describes solving problems with a single correct answer using a fixed procedure?

• A. Heuristic
• B. Algorithm
• C. Insight
• D. Divergent thinking

Answer: (B)

An algorithm is a fixed, step-by-step method that, when followed with the right inputs, guarantees a correct solution. It is deterministic, so for well-defined problems it produces a single correct outcome each time. This differs from heuristics, which are practical rules of thumb that often work but don’t guarantee a correct result; insight, which is a sudden understanding rather than a prescribed process; and divergent thinking, which aims to generate many possible solutions rather than a single fixed path. For example, solving a math problem by applying a specific formula and performing operations in a set order is algorithmic, and a method like binary search follows a fixed rule to zero in on the answer.

An algorithm is a fixed, step-by-step method that, when followed with the right inputs, guarantees a correct solution. It is deterministic, so for well-defined problems it produces a single correct outcome each time. This differs from heuristics, which are practical rules of thumb that often work but don’t guarantee a correct result; insight, which is a sudden understanding rather than a prescribed process; and divergent thinking, which aims to generate many possible solutions rather than a single fixed path. For example, solving a math problem by applying a specific formula and performing operations in a set order is algorithmic, and a method like binary search follows a fixed rule to zero in on the answer.