The term "heuristics" comes from the Greek word "heuriskein," which means "to find" or "to discover." This term reflects the idea of finding or discovering solutions through intuitive or trial-and-error methods. 

In engineering, a problem P is defined by an objective function that needs to be optimized, a vector of parameters that can be adjusted, and constraints that must be satisfied.

The solution S is the optimal set of parameter values that achieve the desired optimization while staying within the bounds of the constraints.