British Museum algorithm

a problem-solving strategy in which all possible solutions are tried one by one, beginning with those involving the fewest steps. It is so named from the facetious idea that, given enough time, an army of monkeys banging on typewriters would eventually write all the books in the British Museum. See algorithm. See also brute force; exhaustive search.

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Psychology term of the day

December 23rd 2024

criminal commitment

the confinement of people in mental institutions either because they have been found not guilty by reason of insanity or to establish their competency to stand trial as responsible defendants.