Brute-force search

Brute-force search, also called exhaustive search or generate and test, is an algorithmic problem-solving technique that systematically checks every possible candidate against a problem's requirements. It is simple to implement and finds a solution if one exists, but its cost can grow rapidly with the number of candidates. It is used for limited-size problems, when heuristics reduce candidates, in critical applications, and as a baseline for comparing algorithms.

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Also called

Exhaustive search or generate and test

Method

Systematically checks all possible candidates

Table-search name

Linear search