Meta-heuristic

Meta-heuristic is a collection of heuristic algorithms applicable to a wide variety of problems. The heuristic approach is often associated with ``rules of thumb'' or clever insights. Based on the heuristic provided, the algorithm performs the search process iteratively to look for a solution. The iterative search process is terminated when no improvements are possible. The choice of meta-heuristic algorithm depends on a few factors, such as the solution quality required and the availability of problem knowledge. Because meta-heuristic is a rather ad hoc technique, there is no guarantee a solution can be obtained. In most cases, meta-heuristic techniques served as the last resort when the other two techniques could not produce the desired solutions. In the following section, several popular meta-heuristic techniques are discussed.