Trial-and-error method

Trial-and-error (also known in computer science literature as "generate-and-test model") is a method of problem solving based on experience with no explicit use of insight or theory building.

Put simply, one selects a possible answer, applies it to the problem and, if it is not successful, generates another possibility that is subsequently tried. This approach is most successful with simple problems and in games, and is often resorted to when no apparent rule applies. This does not mean that the approach need be careless for an individual can be methodical in manipulating the variables in an effort to sort through possibilities that may result in success. However, this method is often used by people who have little knowledge in the problem area.

This approach can be seen as one of the two basic approaches to problem solving and is contrasted with an approach using insight and theory.