The document discusses heuristic search techniques. It describes best-first search, which uses two lists - OPEN and CLOSED - to track states. The OPEN list is ordered by heuristic estimates of state closeness to the goal. Each iteration selects the most promising state from OPEN for expansion. Heuristic evaluation functions guide the search by assigning values like number of misplaced tiles to states. Careful design of heuristics and use of depth and heuristic estimates in the f(n) function help best-first search examine fewer states to find solutions.