[lelanthran]

> I think to be clear, brute force generally means an iterative search of a solution space.

Sure, but not an exhaustive one - you stop when you get a solution[1]. Brute force does not require an exhaustive search in order to be called brute-force.

GP was using the argument that because it is not exhaustive, it cannot be brute-force. That's the wrong argument. Brute-force doesn't have to be exhaustive to be brute-force.

[1] Or a good enough solution.

[naasking]

A brute force search can be expected to find a solution after a more thorough search of the space of possibilities. If it really is only searching 0.000001% of that space before finding solutions, then some structure of the problem is guiding the search and it's no longer brute force.